QUETTA: Security forces have foiled a major suicide attack in Khuzdar, arresting a would-be female suicide bomber who was first engaged by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and mentally prepared for an act of terrorism and then handed over to the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

The young woman identified herself to the media at a press conference as Laiba and said she was called Farzana at home. She said she belonged to Chashma village of Zehri tehsil of Khuzdar.

She disclosed details of her recruitment by terrorist organisations at a press conference which was also addressed by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Wednesday. Home Minister Zia Langove, IGP Muhammad Tahir, Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat were also present.

Laiba disclosed, “My contact established with a TTP commander, Ibrahim alias Qazi Mama, in July last year, and later I met him at a place where they mentally prepared me for carrying out a suicide attack. I agreed with their plan.”

CM Bugti says terrorist groups find potential targets for recruitment through internet

She claimed the TTP commander then connected her with BLA commander Dil Jan who told her that she would be introduced to an activist for training before the planned suicide attack.

The arrested woman stated the TTP commander had attempted to manipulate her for wrongful purposes.

She said they later gave her task to prepare other young women for similar training before being briefed on the target for the mission.

However, Laiba said, she was arrested upon arrival in Khuzdar where Dil Jan had to meet and brief her.

The arrested woman pledged she would never engage in such acts again. She urged other girls to stay away from such harmful activities. “This is my advice to all other girls to keep them away from such dangerous work,” Laiba said.

The chief minister later told the media that terrorist groups were “exploiting” Baloch women.

He maintained that the operation to arrest the young woman was carried out with the help of “human intelligence”, thanking the Baloch community for sharing the intelligence.

With her arrest, he said, a major destruction had been averted.

The chief minister said it was unfortunate that a “young woman was radicalised and was being planned to be used against common citizens”. He maintained that the state remained respectful of women’s honour.

He noted that the mindset of young Baloch people was changing, recalling that security agencies receiving human intelligence in such operations was a “rare occurrence” in the recent past.

He said people had been “pushed into an endless war”, stressing that “nothing will be achieved except for bloodshed”. He said the arrested woman would be interrogated in the “presence of female police personnel”, stressing that the state was cognisant of its responsibility to ensure that she suffers “no physical harm, moral harm or harassment”.

“This is the difference between terrorists and us — that we are giving respect and honour to a woman even if she planned to kill us,” he said.

CM Bugti claimed over 1,000 hardcore terrorists had been neutralised in a year. “Such groups recruit people through the internet and organisations with names such as the [Baloch] Yakhjeti Council, looking for people who could be radicalised against the state of Pakistan,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2026