QUETTA: The Commandant Ghazaband Scouts, a wing of Frontier Corps Balochistan, Brigadier Rab Nawaz, said on Monday that measures were being taken to improve security in and around Quetta following the recent visit of Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal to the provincial capital.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said after recent incidents of violence in Quetta security forces had changed the city’s security plan.

Under the new plan, he said, more check-posts would be set up and security personnel would be deployed in more areas of the city as well as patrolling by security personnel in the city would be increased.

Tribal elders of the Hazara community, Hazara Democratic Party chairman Abdul Khaliq Hazara, Shia Conference president Dawood Agha and Qayyum Changezi were present on the occasion.

More check-posts to be set up, patrolling to be increased

Brigadier Nawaz said for preventing attacks on members of the Hazara community more check-posts would be set up in Hazara Town, Marriabad and the Spiny road area. These areas would also have increased patrolling by security personnel, he added.

He said 17 new check-posts had been set up in business centres of the city.

Quetta Deputy Commissioner retired Captain Farrukh Antique, who was also present in the press conference, said every section of society would have to play its role for eradicating the menace of terrorism from the country.

Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Law Syed Agha Raza said that the government was making all possible measures for improving security situation in the provincial capital.

He said during his recent visit to Quetta the army chief had assured the provincial government of the army’s support for improving security situation in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2018