Sindh minister says underage girl radicalised via social media was stopped before being used in attack
KARACHI:
Sindh officials said on Monday that a major terrorist attack was averted after police intercepted an underage girl who had been recruited through social media and was being moved to Karachi for a potential attack.
The disclosure was made by Sindh Interior Minister Zia Lanjar at an emergency press conference in Karachi, alongside CTD Additional Inspector General Azad Khan and Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho.
Lanjar said police stopped the girl on December 25 while she was travelling on public transport from Balochistan to Karachi. Officers became suspicious due to her behaviour and questioned her about her identity, but her responses were unsatisfactory, prompting further inquiry by a female officer.
The questioning revealed that the girl, a school student from Balochistan whose identity has been withheld, had been radicalised online by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and was on her way to meet handlers linked to the banned militant group.
According to police, the girl said she was first contacted through her Instagram account, where individuals began sharing content about the separation of Balochistan and alleged oppression in the province. She was later added to a WhatsApp group that circulated anti-state and anti-military material and glorified Baloch separatist figures, including Shari Baloch.
Read: Terror triangle: Taliban, TTP, BLA
Speaking in a recorded video at the press conference, the girl said she gradually came to believe the narratives shared in the WhatsApp group. She said this influenced her thinking, turning her against the state, and led her to lose interest in her studies, family, and friends.
Police said the girl later left her home without informing her family and met a woman affiliated with the banned Baloch Liberation Army. Officials said the woman further indoctrinated her and was preparing to hand her over to a handler in Karachi, who would have used her in a terrorist act or suicide attack.
Authorities said the timely identification and questioning of the girl prevented a potential catastrophe.
CTD AIG Azad Khan urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity, warning that militant groups were deliberately targeting minors due to their vulnerability and lack of maturity.
Police said no legal action would be taken against the girl and that she remains in protective custody. Her identity will not be disclosed.
Interior Minister Lanjar said the girl was not being treated as an accused.
“Due to her young age, she was misled,” he said. “She is being given a chance to reform.”
Officials said the case highlights how militant groups are increasingly using social media platforms to recruit and radicalise underage children, posing serious security risks.
