QUETTA: The 21st meeting of the State Defence Conference was held here on Saturday under the joint chairmanship of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Corps Commander Balochistan Lieutenant General Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan.

Speaking at the gathering, also known as the ‘Hardening of the State Conference’, CM Bugti said the conference had been held regularly for the past one and a half years and emerged as an effective platform for promoting peace and stability in the province.

He explained that the conference, convened approximately every 21 days, primarily aimed to review progress on the implementation of decisions taken in previous meetings.

Representatives of federal and provincial institutions and departments, along with security forces including the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Pakistan Coast Guard, attended the meeting.

Special focus was placed on anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics operations, with participants stressing the need to further intensify action against these harmful activities.

The participants expres­sed satisfaction over the ‘B areas to A areas conversion’ initiative and emphasised the need for all-out efforts to ensure its effectiveness across all divisions of the province so that development benefits reach every region and an environment of peace and prosperity is strengthened.

Balochistan’s Home Ministry has merged the Levies Force into the police and abolished all ‘B’ areas across the province, converting them into ‘A’ areas.

The meeting also held detailed discussions on the overall security situation in Balochistan, progress on development projects and public welfare matters. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to continuing effective stra­tegies to secure a bright future for the province.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2026