Balochistan | Pakistan

Security forces killed 17 terrorists during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in different districts of Balochistan following the suicide car bomb attack against a shuttle train in Quetta, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday. At least 14 people were killed and 20 others were injured in the incident, which took place on May 24. The IBOs were conducted in the districts of Mastung, Nushki, Khuzdar and Kech. The military’s media wing added that multiple terrorist locations were targeted by security personnel during these operations. “Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, 17 terrorists belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna al Hindustan have been sent to hell, giving a significant blow to the terrorist networks operating in these areas,” the statement read. The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan. ISPR added that weapons, ammunition an...

Pakistan's security forces have killed 17 terrorists linked to the Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan in a series of intelligence-based operations conducted across Balochistan, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Pakistan Railways has restored train operations across Balochistan after a three-day suspension, with services resuming under the regular schedule on Saturday.

Political leaders across Balochistan have strongly condemned the recent blast in Quetta and reaffirmed their resolve to stand united against terrorist elements, pledging decisive action against those responsible.

QUETTA: At least 14 people were killed and 20 others were injured after a blast caused by a vehicle-borne suicide bombing tore through a shuttle train in Quetta on Sunday morning, the Balochistan government said. Hours after the blast, the provincial government said in a statement it was confirming with “profound grief and deep concern” that a train shuttle service near Chaman Phatak in Quetta was targeted in a vehicle-borne suicide bombing. “This cowardly act of terrorism is not only an attack on innocent human lives but also a heinous attempt to undermine peace, stability, and normal civic life in Balochistan,” the statement said. Citing initial reports, it added that “14 people embraced martyrdom while 20 others sustained injuries, including women and children”. “Among the martyrs were three personnel of the Frontier Corps, while the majority of victims were civilians, including pedestrians, passengers, bystanders, and residents living in houses adjacent to the blast site. “Tragically, an entire family of ...

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan’s government has told the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that holding a by-election for NA-256 Khuzdar is not possible at present, citing the law and order situation in the district. During a meeting with ECP officials on Wednesday, the province’s chief secretary and inspector general of police briefed that the “presence of militants, tribal disputes, and the need to deploy police and other law enforcement personnel from other districts” had made it difficult to hold the polls. They said the constituency comprised mountainous terrain, the security situation was “unstable”, and complete security could not be provided to election staff and voters. Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, who chaired the meeting, said the commission was bound under the Constitution and law to hold the by-election. “The ECP will take an appropriate decision on the Khuzdar by-elections,” he said. The ECP maintained that it was ready to proceed with the by-election and had sought an...

QUETTA - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to deploy the Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan’s Rakhshan Division to establish a dedicated security corridor aimed at protecting the province’s mineral resources and related economic activities.

GWADAR / QUETTA: A woman police constable and a Brahvi-language poet were gunned down in the Turbat and Nushki areas of Balochistan on Saturday. Police officials said woman police constable Shakeela was on her way to Turbat town on a motorcycle along with her husband and child when armed men targeted her near Apsar Research Farm. “The lady constable died on the spot as she suffered multiple bullet injuries, while her husband and child were injured in the firing,” a police official in Turbat said. Police rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the attack and shifted the body and injured to hospital. The husband was identified as Sunil and the child as seven-month-old Abbas. The official said, “It was a case of targeted killing”. He added police were investigating the matter. The constable was on her way to perform court duty when she was attacked. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the incident. Last month, a woman constable of the Khuzdar police was killed by armed men in the Zeh...

Sindh, K-P & Balochistan ease trade restrictions

A major-ranked officer was among five soldiers martyred during an area sanitisation operation in Balochistan’s Barkham district, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday. At least seven terrorists were also killed during the operation. According to a statement by the military’s media wing, the operation, carried out by the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan, took place in Barkham district’s Nosham area and targeted members of Fitna al Hindustan — a term used by the state to designate terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan. “During the operation, a group of terrorists was located and engaged by troops. During [the] fire exchange, seven terrorists of Indian-backed Fitna al Hindustan were sent to hell,” ISPR said, adding that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists. “However, during intense fire exchange, five brave sons of soil, including a field officer, met the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat (martyrdom),” ISPR added. The martyr...

Rallies were organised in several cities of Balochistan on the completion of one year of the success of Marka-e-Haq, with participants expressing solidarity with the Pakistan Army.

QUETTA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), Balochistan, has announced the launch of a protest movement against raids on religious seminaries across the province. Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey, the provincial chief of the JUI-F, stated that a province-wide shutter-down strike and protest demonstrations would take place on May 6. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, he said that on May 10, seminary students and party workers from across Balochistan would march towards Quetta. He added that JUI-F members in the provincial assembly would stage strong protests inside the Balochistan Assembly. He also announced that party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would address a JUI conference in Pishin on June 4. These decisions were taken during a meeting of the JUI-F’s provincial leadership and later announced at the press conference. Opposition Leader Mir Younas Aziz Zehri, Maulana Salahuddin, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Agha Mehmood Shah, Malik Sikandar, and others were also present. Red line Maulana Wasey alleged his party f...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Saturday rejected a plea by the Balochistan government to grant lifetime facilities to retired chief secretaries and their widows. Justice Aamer Farooq, who headed the FCC two-judge bench, observed that the Balochistan government notification was over and above the pensionary benefits granted to chief secretaries. The judgment explained that the Rules of Business do not empower the provincial government to issue such directions by way of notification, especially when there was no legal backing. The FCC ruling came on an appeal filed by Balochistan’s chief secretary against the May 29, 2023, Balochistan High Court (BHC) judgment, which had also struck down Notification No. 13-25(5)/2019/SO-1(S&GAD) extending lifetime facilities to retired chief secretaries and their widows. The controversy arose from a notification challenged before the BHC by Bayazid Khan Kharooti, which the court accepted. The high court held that such benefits could not be granted without...

Security forces thwarted an attempted attack in the Dhadar area of Balochistan, killing several militants in an exchange of fire, officials said on Saturday.

QUETTA: At least nine people working at a copper and gold project site in Balochistan’s Chagai district were killed in an armed attack by unidentified assailants, according to officials. In a statement, the mining company National Resources Limited (NRL) said the attack took place on Wednesday evening, adding that security forces, including the Frontier Corps, responded promptly, secured the area and launched a clearance operation. The company did not mention any casualties in its statement. However, local authorities confirmed the incident and nine casualties. “At least nine employees, including two security guards, were killed,” a senior official of the Chagai administration said on condition of anonymity. Police officials also confirmed the attack and the killing of nine people. All nine bodies were taken to Prince Fahad Hospital in Dalbandin. In its statement, NRL said it remained “fully committed to the development and empowerment of local communities in Balochistan, with a strong focus on improving live...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced 460 scholarships for students from Balochistan for the academic year 2025–26, in a move aimed at promoting equitable access to higher education.

Temperatures are rising across the country, with the mercury crossing 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Sindh and Balochistan, the Met Office said on Monday.

DERA MURAD JAMALI: A police constable was martyred on Wednesday after unknown armed men opened fire on a polio team in Dera Murad Jamali town of Balochistan’s Nasirabad district, police said. According to police officials, the polio team was on its way home on a lunch break when armed men on motorcycles opened fire on the police personnel accompanying them. As a result, Constable Farhan Bashir was martyred. “A constable was martyred after armed men opened fire on police personnel. However, the other members of the team remained unhurt in the firing,” Nasirabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asad Nasar told Dawn. The assailants fired ten 9mm bullets at the constable, resulting in his death on the spot, the SSP said, adding that the assailants fled from the scene. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Nasar said, adding that a search operation had been launched to find out the miscreants involved in the incident. Nasirabad Deputy Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Karrar said the anti-polio ca...

Light rainfall in Quetta and nearby areas has made the weather pleasant, while more showers are expected in several parts of Balochistan, according to the Meteorological Department.

The Government of Balochistan has officially set the price of Iranian petrol at Rs280 per litre across the province, warning of strict legal action against overcharging.