Balochistan | Pakistan

Tremors were felt across several districts of Sindh and Balochistan on Friday after a moderate earthquake struck the region, causing panic among residents but no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded 86 kilometres northeast of Balochistan’s Khuzdar on Friday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). According to PMD’s National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the earthquake struck at 6:30am at a depth of 13 km, 86km northeast of Khuzdar. It was preceded by another earthquake — magnitude 3.8 — that struck 75km southeast of Khuzdar at 5:52am at a depth of 33km. Tremors were felt in several districts of Sindh as well, APP reported, including Sukkur, Qambar, Shahdadkot, and Dadu, while Jhal Magsi, Jaffarabad and Nasirabad in Balochistan reported tremors as well. Last month, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted parts of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan, Peshawar and adjacent areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the country in January. Tremors were felt in Islamabad and parts of KP. Pakistan falls on three major tectonic plates — the Arabian, Euro-Asian and Indian — which create five seismic zones under the country. The ...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti addressed the issue of terrorism in the province on Wednesday, asserting that no one was allowed to take up arms and kill innocent people. He made this statement while addressing the Balochistan Assembly, around 10 days after a spate of attacks on January 31 brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for several days. Security forces responded to the attacks by killing a total of 216 terrorists during “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1”. Speaking about terrorism today, Bugti said there was, unfortunately, “confusion” on the issue in Pakistan. He linked this “confusion” to the use of “propaganda”, which he said was used to create distance between the state and the youth of Balochistan. Moreover, he claimed, “a forced narrative has been created against Pakistan that is purely based on perceptions and devoid of reality”. The minister decried that terrorism in Balochistan was linked to the lack of development in the province, adding that the problem of “unparalleled dev...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a Rs10 billion allocation for the Frontier Corps (FC) to strengthen the force’s capacity-building and bolster security in Balochistan. Addressing FC headquarters during her visit to Balochistan on Tuesday, she paid tribute to those serving in Balochistan under difficult and dangerous circumstances. In her speech, which was aired on Wednesday, Maryam shared that she found out a few months ago that the FC required Rs10 billion for “capacity building”. “I was asked to contribute whatever Punjab could,” she stated. “I decided it was not a favour … it was a responsibility. I said we will provide them the entire Rs10bn.” The chief minister highlighted that the allocation aimed to enhance operational readiness and strengthen security efforts in Balochistan, particularly in light of recent threats and attacks. CM Maryam’s visit came in the wake of a spate of attacks across Balochistan on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for severa...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday paid a visit to Quetta, where she met with her Balochistan counterpart CM Sarfraz Bugti and assured him of her full support. CM Maryam’s visit comes in the wake of a spate of attacks across Balochistan on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for several days. Security forces had responded by killing a total of 216 terrorists during “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in the province. “As the chief minister of Punjab, as a Pakistani and as your sister, all services and resources of Punjab, whatever cooperation or support you need — whether in operations against khawarij here or any kind of challenges in the government — we are with you,” Maryam said. She further assured Bugti, “Whatever kind of support you need, I am just a call away. I will be very glad if I can assist you or do something for the people of Balochistan.” Noting that this was her first visit to another province after assuming the office of Punjab CM in February 2024, Marya...

• PM aide’s contention that ‘innocents may get caught up’ in the wake of action following terror attacks prompts heckling, walkout • Dr Malik, Akhtar Mengal stress need for political, not military-based solutions LAHORE: At a charged discussion about the situation in Balochistan, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah ignited controversy when he implied that innocent civilians were bound to get caught up in the fallout of attacks such as the ones witnessed across the province on Jan 31. The PM’s aide was speaking during a session, titled ‘Is There a Political Will to Solve the Crisis in Balochistan’, at the Asma Jahangir Conference on Sunday. The minister was part of a distinguished panel, which also incl­uded BNP-Mengal chief Akhtar Mengal and National Party leader Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, and was moderated by Mujahid Barelvi. PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah at the Asma Jahangir Conference on Sunday. The controversy reared its head when Mr Sanaullah was responding to points raised by the other speaker regarding the treatment...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast rain, wind, and thunderstorms, along with snowfall over hilly areas, across Balochistan and the upper parts of the country from the night of February 08 to February 10, as a westerly wave is expected to enter western regions and move northward.

The United States on Friday expressed solidarity with Pakistan following recent militant attacks in Balochistan, reiterating its support for efforts to bring those responsible to justice. In a post on X, the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) said it stood “steadfast with Pakistan” in the wake of the attacks, which it described as “horrific”. The bureau noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) remains a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). In August last year, the US State Department added the BLA and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, to its FTO list, according to a press release. FTO designations are made by the secretary of state, following section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and “are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business”. “We support efforts to hold the perpetrators of these horrific attacks accountable,” the SCA added. Earlier on Thursday, securi...

QUETTA: Train services were once again suspended in Balochistan on Friday, a day after resuming, following a five-day suspension in the wake of a spate of attacks in the province. Spokesperson of Pakistan Railways Quetta division, Muhammad Kashif, in a statement, said that Jaffar Express (from Quetta to Peshawar) and Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had been suspended again. “The passenger train to Chaman also remains suspended,” he added. A day earlier, train services were restored in Balochistan as the security situation improved. Authorities had also said on Thursday that mobile internet services remained suspended in many parts of Balochistan, but Quetta was expected to be back online on Friday (today). On Thursday, after several days of “mop-up” actions in parts of the province following the January 31 attacks, the military announced that security forces successfully concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 36 civilia...

ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday briefed Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong about operations conducted by security forces in Balochistan after recent spate of attacks across the province.

QUETTA: Train services were restored in Balochistan on Thursday, after five days of suspension, as the tense security situation eased following a series of counter-terrorism operations in response to a spate of attacks in the province. However, mobile data services remained suspended for the sixth day in Quetta and some other districts. “Train services within Balochistan and to other provinces have been,” Muhammad Kashif, spokesperson for Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division, confirmed to Dawn. He particularly mentioned that the services of the Jaffar Express train on the Quetta-Peshawar route and the Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had been suspended since January 31. The railway official added that both had been restored now. He further said that operations of the Quetta-Chaman passenger train had also resumed, and it departed today at its scheduled time. On the other hand, mobile data services remained suspended in the provincial capital for the sixth consecutive day. The mobile internet was still inaccessible in Q...

Security forces have successfully concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists in the days-long clearance actions against “Indian-sponsored terrorist elements”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday. “Security forces have successfully concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan under which a series of coordinated, swift, and intelligence-driven operations were conducted against Indian-sponsored terrorist elements seeking to disrupt peace and development by targeting innocent civilians, including women and children,” the ISPR said in a press release. The development comes as security forces responded to a spate of attacks across Balochistan on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for several days. “As a result of these well-coordinated engagements and subsequent clearance operations, 216 terrorists have been sent to hell, significantly degrading the leadership, command-and-control structures and operation...

Security forces have concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan, killing 216 militants during a series of coordinated, intelligence-based operations carried out across multiple districts, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

QUETTA: A coalition of opposition political parties announced the withdrawal of province-wide protests in Balochistan following a meeting with government officials on Wednesday, a move described as a “goodwill gesture” amid the province’s current security and political situation. In response to the announcement, the Balochistan government agreed to release all government employees recently arrested by police while attempting to enter the “Red Zone”. The decision was reached during a meeting between an authorised government committee and an All Parties delegation representing a broad spectrum of political leadership, including the Awami National Party (ANP), National Party, Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party (PkNAP), and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). During the session, the political coalition formally ended its protest movement, citing the prevailing circumstances in Balochistan. In turn, the government confirmed it would move forward with the release of detained employees to de-escalate tensions. The two sid...

QUETTA: Mobile internet remains suspended in parts of Balochistan for the fifth consecutive day, with provincial authorities also halting train services in the province in the wake of last week’s coordinated terrorist attacks across the province. “Keeping in mind the worsening law and order situation in the province, mobile internet has been shut down,” said Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat while speaking to Dawn about the situation in Quetta. However, he added, “Now that the situation is returning to normal, it has been decided to restore mobile internet service from tomorrow at 12am midnight.” Meanwhile, mobile data services reportedly remained suspended in Nushki and Sibi, as well as in Mastung where services were briefly restored. Mobile data has been inaccessible for those in Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Panjgur and Turbat for varying periods due to prior security concerns. Separately, a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division, Muhammad Kashif, told Dawn that train services from Quetta to...

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned the series of terrorist attacks across multiple locations in Balochistan. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the UNSC said the attacks, which occurred on January 31, 2026, were carried out across the province and described them as “heinous and cowardly acts of terrorism”. The UNSC expressed its “deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the governor and people of Pakistan”. The council also wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured in the attacks. The statement reaffirmed that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”. It added that it was crucial to “hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,” urging all states to cooperate with the government of Pakistan in accordance with international law and relevant UNSC resol...

At least 197 terrorists linked to the Indian proxy group “Fitna-e-Hindustan” have been killed during ongoing security operations in Balochistan over the past three days, security sources said on Sunday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday that Beijing strongly condemned the recent attacks in Balochistan and would always firmly support Pakistan in combatting terrorism. Jian made these remarks during a regular press briefing when he was asked to comment on a large-scale coordinated attack across Balochistan last week. Jian said that China strongly condemned the attacks. “We mourn for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones,” he said. “China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in combatting terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people,” he added. On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Pakistan had also condemned the “recent multiple terrorist activities in Balochistan”. In a post on X, the embassy said “we […] deeply mourn for the lives lost, and extend sincere sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured”. Apart from China, the US, Europe...

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that the state’s bottom line was that “nobody in Pakistan will be allowed to rationalise violence”. “When you try to rationalise violence or dress it up as a freedom movement — it is not acceptable because it is not true. This is a cover to legitimise criminal activities,” he said while addressing the National Assembly. Asif made these remarks while briefing the House on the security situation in Balochistan, where terrorists carried out a large-scale coordinated attack on Saturday. According to the military’s media affairs wing, more than 150 terrorists have been killed in retaliatory action. After Speaker Ayaz Sadiq asked him for a briefing, he began his address by recalling that the restoration of peace in Balochistan had been “disrupted” several times over the decades. However, he maintained that there had been long spells of peace in the province as well, and development work was also carried out in Balochistan. The defence minister said during the initial dec...

ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday ruled out talks with terrorists as the upper house of Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the spate of terrorist attacks in Balochistan, while also urging the government to ensure a transparent investigation into the incidents. Speaking in the Senate, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah ruled out talks with terrorists. He urged all political forces to adopt a unified national stance against terrorism, fully support law enforcement agencies and the armed forces, and honour the sacrifices of martyrs and their families. Responding to the points raised by opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas, he said: “No one is angry in Balochistan; there is no issue of rights. They are taking action against Pakistan on the instructions of the enemy.” He said that terrorists should be called terrorists without any ifs or buts and that action should be taken against them without any ambiguity. He pointed out that the enemy was humiliated during Marka-i-...