QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch Saturday vowed that the government would not bow down before the terrorists and continue fight against them till their elimination.
He was talking to the families of victim officials of the Quetta Police Lines tragedy here.
At least 40 members of the police force, including a DIG and SP, were killed and 60 others injured on Thursday when a lone suicide bomber penetrated through a strict security cordon placed around the Police Lines (a residential compound meant for the city police) and blew himself up, causing one of the worst tragedies for the Balochistan police force.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt. Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, provincial ministers Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Nawab Mohammad Khan Shawani, and Inspector General of Police Balochistan Mushtaq Sukhera were also present on the occasion.
The chief minister said the government was mindful of the threats and ready to take the terrorists head on. “We are not scared of them at all and will fight them until the last bullet,” he resolved.
He said the terrorists would not be allowed to reign in Quetta, which was, he said an identity of the province. The chief minister paid tribute to the martyred police officials and assured the families of every possible assistance.
He asked the IG Balochistan police to keep the force's morale high to counter the terrorists’ strategy of demoralising law enforcement agencies by taking them on.
“The police force is not alone in their fight rather they have the complete support of the government and the public,” the CM said and appreciated performance of the force against the miscreants.
Referring to the Police Line tragedy, he described it as a reaction to successes of the law enforcement agencies, which had managed to arrest several members of the terrorist outfits in recent days.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister Lt. Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch assured every possible support on behalf of the federal government.
“The federal government will provide the latest security equipment, gadgets and funds as demanded by the provincial government,” he added.
Referring to the Bannu and D I Khan jailbreaks, attacks on ISI office in Sukkur and Balochistan IGP's residence, he said the terrorists were bold enough that they attacked and got freed their imprisoned accomplices.
He said the Police Line tragedy indicated that Balochistan had emerged as the second battlefield after the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The Taliban could now only be defeated through a tough fighting, he said and added that for the purpose, the law enforcing agencies should be fully prepared to counter the threat and properly man the Pak-Afghan border.
The minister said he had visited residences of several victims of the tragedy to convey sympathies of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to their families.