QUETTA: Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti accused the Afghan government and intelligence agencies on Monday of being behind the unrest in the province.

“In a bid to destabilise Pakistan, Afghan intelligence agency National Defence Service is supporting Baloch separatists by providing them arms and funds,” he said at a briefing about the seizure of a large quantity of explosives and arms in Pir Alizai area.

In reply to a question, he said the federal government had ample proof of Afghan involvement in insurgency in Balochistan. “Baloch separatists are running 34 camps in different areas of Afghanistan.”

The minister warned the anti-Pakistan forces to refrain from creating a law and order in Balochistan because they would not be allowed to succeed in their nefarious design.

He said the federal government had asked Kabul to stop backing the separatists and instead help restore peace in the province. He said that acting on a report of the recently formed Intelligence Fusion Cell, security forces conducted a raid in Pir Alizai area during which they found explosives and arms and arrested two suspects. The explosives were to be transported to different areas of Balochistan for terrorist activities.

The seized items included several tonnes of explosives, dozens of Kalashnikovs and pistols, 70 bags of nitro phosphate, 50 improvised explosive devices and 200 detonators.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2014