RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Quetta on Wednesday and met families of the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Mach, said a press release of the Inter-Services Public Relations.

Gen Bajwa was given a security briefing at the HQ of Southern Command and interacted with a group of members of Hazara community, the press release said.

At the HQ of Southern Command, the army chief was apprised of prevailing security challenges in Baloch­istan and the measures taken to deal with them, including border management along the Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran borders.

Gen Bajwa spent some time with bereaved families of the slain coal miners and shared their grief.

The COAS assured them that perpetrators of this heinous act shall be brought to justice and blood of the martyrs would not go to waste.

Later, the army chief addressed garrison officers and appreciated their preparedness and efforts for ensuring peace and stability in the province despite difficulties of terrain and distances involved, said the press release.

“Balochistan is in sharp focus of our enemies due to its strategic potential,” the COAS said, adding that “Balochistan is the future of Pakistan and progress and prosperity of the province is the progress of the country”.

“The disruptive efforts by hostile forces won’t be allowed to succeed,” Gen Bajwa said.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Digital deal
19 Jun, 2026

Digital deal

THINGS have moved rapidly where the Iran-US memorandum of understanding is concerned. While the physical document ...
Failing the public
19 Jun, 2026

Failing the public

WHETHER it is Sindh’s struggle to secure clean drinking water or Balochistan’s difficulty in improving the...
Crushed lives
19 Jun, 2026

Crushed lives

COURTS and commissions have often been up in arms over the health and ecological hazards associated with...
Words that wound
Updated 18 Jun, 2026

Words that wound

Hate speech rarely begins with physical attacks.
‘New urban province’
18 Jun, 2026

‘New urban province’

CONSIDERING the advance state of urban decay that affects Karachi, voices are often raised calling for the megacity,...
Punjab budget: mixed bag
18 Jun, 2026

Punjab budget: mixed bag

PUNJAB’S budget for FY27 is a mix of good and bad political choices, with a cash-strapped centre tightening the...