By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The military on Monday accused the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a rights movement in the southwestern province of Balochistan, of being a “proxy” for “terrorist organizations and criminal mafias”.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the BYC and its leadership were tasked with defaming and spreading propaganda against law enforcement agencies, making development projects controversial, and challenging the state’s authority.
“The method of action is through gathering a mob through foreign funding and a foreign stance, persuading innocent citizens around that mob, challenging the state’s writ, and feigning innocence when the state responds,” Chaudhry told a news conference in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The BYC had been leading a protest in Gwadar since July 28, following arrests and deadly clashes with security forces, against alleged human rights violations and exploitation of the province’s resources. The protest was called off on August 2 after the provincial government agreed to fulfill the BYC’s demands. However, media reports say a standoff between protestors and the local administration is still there, with roads blocked and protestors sitting in on major highways.
The military spokesperson accused protestors of blocking roads, pelting pilgrims with stones, burning tyres, and attacking the Frontier Corps, resulting in the death of one soldier.
“This Raaji Muchi, this is a proxy of terrorists and criminal mafia that has been exposed,” Chaudhry said. “This is the reality. They are nothing more than a proxy of terrorist organizations and illegal smugglers; this is a mafia.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and most impoverished province, has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatist groups seeking a greater share in the region’s rich mineral resources.
Political leaders, human rights activists, and families of victims have for decades spoken against enforced disappearances in Balochistan, as well as killings by security agencies in staged encounters – a practice where officials claim the victim was killed in a gunfight though they were summarily executed. Authorities deny involvement in such incidents.
May 9
The spokesman, replying to a question, said the military’s stance on the May 9 riots, stated on May 7, remains unchanged. “Neither has there been any change in this position nor will there be.”
This follows PTI founder Imran Khan’s statement last week that his party is ready for talks with the military establishment, after months of strained relations.
Alleged PTI supporters attacked government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest in a graft case.
Hundreds of PTI workers and leaders were arrested following the May 9 riots, with many still in custody awaiting trial. The military has initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
Khan, who has been in jail since August last year, recently made a “conditional” offer of talks to the army, if “clean and transparent” elections were held and “bogus” cases against his supporters were dropped.
However, the military has ruled out talks, blaming Khan and his party for the May 9 attacks.
Digital Terrorism
The military spokesperson also lamented the spread of “digital terrorism” and called for stricter legal measures to combat it.
“It is the country’s law that has to control and curb digital terrorism… unfortunately, you can see that lies, propaganda… fake news, and doctored images continue to spread while confusion is created in the public’s mind,” Chaudhry said.
He said the law was not being enforced effectively against digital terrorism. “But the law is not taking its course against it the way it should.”
The military will take legal action against individuals spreading propaganda against it, he warned. “Whoever… is found spreading propaganda against the Pakistan Army… or is found to be involved in spreading fake news, the army will take necessary legal action against it, and there is a whole process for it.”
Security Operations
The security forces have conducted a total of 23,622 intelligence-based operations across the country, resulting in the elimination of 24 terrorists in the past 15 days, the spokesman said.
The operations, carried out by security forces and law enforcement agencies, are part of a broader effort to combat terrorism and ensure internal and border security.
“It is important to mention that to fight terrorism, the Pakistan Army, intelligence, police, and other law enforcement agencies conduct more than a hundred operations daily,” he said. “The entire nation pays tribute to the 139 brave soldiers who have embraced martyrdom during the first seven months of the year.”
The military has also recently rebranded the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as “Fitna al-Khawarij”, a term used to describe a group that sows discord and chaos.
“From now on, we will use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the TTP, while all terrorists associated with the group would be termed khariji (outcasts),” he said. “This is because it is a mischief-making group; it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan.”
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