QUETTA: Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove on Monday said a province-wide operation had been laun­ched against the terrorists involved in the Mach massacre and other terrorist attacks.

Presiding over a meeting to discuss the overall law and order situation in the province, he said the government would go to any extent till the elimination of terrorism.

The meeting reviewed a progress report about tracing out the terrorists involved in slaughtering 11 innocent coal miners in Mach recently.

Additional Chief Secretary Home Hafiz Abdul Basit, Inspector General of Police Mohsin Hassan Butt, Deputy Inspector General, Counter Terrorism Department Aitzaz Goraya, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Quetta, Yaqoob Khan and other officials concerned also attended the meeting.

The home minister said that Balochistan was in the war zone where terrorists had been carrying out operations under a plan to destabilise the province by creating a law and order situation. “Terrorists want to divide us on the basis of sectarianism and language by carrying out such tragic incidents, but the people always thwarted their attempts,” he added.

He said that all conspiracies against the country and the province would be foiled with the cooperation of the people and the state would fulfill its responsibilities regarding protection of life and property at all costs.

Mr Langove said action would be taken against terrorists and their facilitators involved in these activities to prevent such incidents.

Official sources said the meeting was briefed about the Mach incident and overall law and order situation and decided to continue intelligence-based operation against the terrorists in the province.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2021