PESHAWAR: Units of the Armed Forces have been moved into Baluchistan to help the Provincial Government maintain law and order, Interior Minister Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan disclosed to newsmen today [Feb 6]. The units, he said, had been sent to prevent clashes between the armed Lashkars of Mengal, Bizenjo, Brohi and some other tribes of Baluchistan and the people of Lasbela. “They have achieved their objective”, he announced.

...[T]he Home Minister disclosed that the Civil Armed Forces … had been made a part of the regular Army and were being controlled by the Defence Department. “Whether it is Rangers, Coastal Guards, Frontier Corps or scouts, all are now in regular Armed Forces. So the denial of Baluchistan Governor that he did not ask for Army units but had called for Civil Armed Forces meant the same thing.”

Qayyum Khan said Mr. Bizenjo wanted the Civil Armed Forces to assist the Dehi Muhafiz quell the reported rebellion in Lasbela, but according to reports he had received from Mr Jam Saheb of Lasbela, Mir Nabi Baksh Zehri and Nawab Akbar Bugti, the Baluchistan Government was determined to crush the Opposition elements because there was no NAP in Lasbela.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2023