QUETTA, Feb 9: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf has asked officials to take stern action against saboteurs involved in attacks on railway tracks, transmission lines and PTCL installations in the province.

"All possible steps should be taken to protect national installations in Balochistan," he said while presiding over a high-level meeting held here on Wednesday.

The meeting discussed the situation arising out of the attacks on railway tracks, power transmission lines and other installations in different areas of Balochistan and took important decisions to ensure protection of various installations.

It decided to immediately fill the vacant posts in the levies so that forces could be deployed in sufficient numbers at national installations. The meeting also decided to increase patrolling by the levies force in sensitive areas of the province to foil plans of subversive elements.

It observed that the common man and growers in the province had been adversely affected by the attacks on railway tracks, telephone lines and power transmission lines. "The agriculture sector and growers are incurring great losses because of attacks on power lines," the meeting observed.

"Elements involved in subversive activities should be dealt with severely and their cases should be submitted in courts with all evidence," Chief Minister Jam told officials of law-enforcement agencies.

He said these elements should also be exposed before the people who should know which powers were patronizing these subversive elements.

Senior officials of different law-enforcement agencies informed the meeting about action taken against such elements. They said that some progress was expected soon and people would also be apprised about it.

Provincial ministers Mir Shoaib Nausherwani, Syed Ehsan Shah, Sardar Masood Luni, Mir Amanullah Notizai, Chief Secretary Major (retd) Mohammad Naeem Khan, Inspector General Police Chaudhary Mohammad Yaqoob, Secretary Home Aftab Jamal, DG Levies, General Manager PTCL and Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways also attended the meeting.