QUETTA: Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, reiterated his commitment to peace, stating that the provincial government’s doors remain open for dialogue with those willing to lay down their arms.
However, he made it clear that the state would not hesitate to take decisive action against militants continuing to engage in violence.
Addressing the “Stability of Pakistan” conference in Quetta, Bugti stressed that a small group of armed militants could not impose their ideology on a nation of 250 million people. He affirmed that peace was achievable in Balochistan, which he referred to as the “heart of Pakistan” and essential for the country’s survival.
Bugti highlighted the province’s historical significance, recalling that under the leadership of Pakistan’s founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Balochistan’s tribal elders had convened a jirga to decide on the region’s historic accession to Pakistan.
The chief minister accused foreign powers hostile to Pakistan of funding a small group of terrorists attempting to manipulate the Baloch people under the pretext of nationalism, and warned that their actions would only lead to a “futile war.”
