Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, in his address to the provincial assembly, said that the Anti-Terrorism Act would never be misused against innocent people but stressed that special laws were essential to deal with terrorism effectively.
Referring to the recent killing of labourers in Gwadar, Bugti said such brutal incidents highlight the need for urgent measures.
He pointed out that France changed its laws within a day after a terror attack, while in Pakistan delays in justice have weakened deterrence.
He recalled the August 8, 2016 attack on lawyers in Quetta, saying that although the mastermind was arrested, a timely trial was never conducted. “Ask those who carried coffins of their loved ones about the pain of terrorism,” he remarked, adding that witnesses rarely come forward to testify against terrorists.
The chief minister declared that the provincial government had resolved never to bow before terrorists. “Those involved in terrorism and unrest in Balochistan cannot escape the state. I want to make it clear: the state will crush them with full force,” Bugti asserted.
He reaffirmed that peace in Balochistan would be restored at any cost and that all elements threatening law and order would face decisive action.
