No Taliban militants in Quetta: IG FC

QUETTA: Inspector General Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan, Major General Ubaidullah Khan has said no Taliban militants or Quetta Shura existed in Quetta city or any other part of Balochistan.

Addressing a crowded news conference at FC Headquarters here on Saturday he said: "Propaganda was made that Taliban militants and their Quetta Shura existed in the Provincial metropolis so that Balochistan could be destabilized. There is no truth in such allegations as no militants are present in the city".

The IG viewed there was difference between mindset of Pashtoon community of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. He opined that Pashtoon community of Balochistan has tendency to world business activities.

Replying to a question, he said tribal set up and society have a culture of action and reaction which usually caused massacre for years.

He said Balochistan was passing through a critical period. "Our neighboring country Afghanistan has been experiencing war and anarchy since the last 30 years. Foreign forces attacks and internal wars had damaged peace of Afghanistan. How, we can remain safe when the region is facing unrest since long", he said.

Khan said the regional scenario in which Pakistan was located has deteriorated after the 9/11 incident. He said instability of the region has also affected Balochistan.

He said some foreign forces had set up camps which trained youths and later used them for terrorist activities in Balochistan. He added such forces wanted to destabilize Pakistan by creating unrest and lawlessness in Balochistan. He said important geographical location of Balochistan in the region and terrorism had pushed the province to a complex situation.

He recalled all institutions including bureaucracy, law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies, judiciary and media have to play their role in removing the sense of deprivation besides ensuring resolution of basic problems faced by the people of Balochistan to secure peace in the province. He lamented there was no industry in Balochistan and the local youth were facing unemployment and poverty adding they were being exploited by the anti-state forces.

He said Balochistan needed forward looking leadership. He said FC wants to win the hearts of people of Balochistan by providing them security and launching nation building projects.

To a question, he said there were intelligence reports that some hidden hands wanted to exploit timing of Muharram-ul-Haram by carrying out terrorism adding but their nefarious designs would be foiled. He said FC would take stern action against those trying to damage interests of Pakistan and Balochistan adding masses would have to cooperate with the LEA for ensuring a peaceful environment during Muharram-ul-Haram.

He said 45,000 FC personnel were discharging their duties in border security, maintenance of law and order and nation building activities. He said FC has been running schools, colleges, technical education institutions and free medical camps.

He said at present Dera Bugti and Kohlu were safe districts adding however, trouble was being shifted to Mastung, Manguchar, Khuzdar and others areas.

He said the future of angry Baloch youth lies only in a stable Pakistan. He offered the Baloch youth to join FC and the armed forces.

He viewed that human resource sector of Balochistan was weak adding joblessness and poverty also sparked a sense of deprivation amongst the locals. He emphasized the need to improve human resource sector besides providing maximum jobs to the local youth. He urged the tribes of Balochistan to shun differences to form an internally harmonized society.

Answering a question, he said Chief Minister Balochistan never complained him that FC was running a parallel government in the province. He said it depended on the federal and provincial government whether they wanted to hold dialogue with Brahamdagh Bugti and others or not.

He said FC had nabbed several drug smugglers adding that efforts should be made to destroy poppy crops in Afghanistan. He said it was a reality that we could not deal with Afghan refugees issue properly. He said no person was in custody of FC adding wrong propaganda was being made against the LEA in this connection.

He expressed the hope that media and civil society would collaborate with FC in efforts to maintain peace in the province.