Pakistan’s military has rejected claims that Balochistan’s security challenges stem from a lack of development, asserting instead that terrorist groups deliberately attack public infrastructure and development projects to create instability and reinforce what it described as a false narrative of deprivation.
Addressing a press conference on Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign and the security situation in Balochistan, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said terrorists had consistently targeted development initiatives, educational institutions and public infrastructure in an attempt to obstruct progress and discourage investment in the province.
He said attacks on soft targets, including passenger transport and development projects, were intended to undermine public confidence and create the impression that the province was being neglected.
The DG ISPR maintained that Balochistan had witnessed significant public sector investment over the years, particularly in infrastructure, healthcare, education and connectivity. Referring to Gwadar, he said the city possessed modern infrastructure, hospitals, road networks, recreational facilities and an international airport despite having a relatively small population.
He argued that comparable facilities were not available in many other parts of the country with similar population sizes, adding that Turbat had also benefited from substantial investments in public infrastructure and essential services.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif further stated that Balochistan’s per capita income remained higher than that of several other provinces, rejecting assertions that the province had been ignored in national development planning.
According to the military spokesperson, terrorist organizations deliberately sabotage roads, schools, communication links and other public projects before attempting to portray the resulting disruptions as evidence of state neglect.
He said the objective of such attacks was to slow economic activity, discourage investors and contractors, and deprive local communities of the benefits of ongoing development programmes.
The DG ISPR also alleged that certain vested interests opposed educational and economic progress because an educated and economically empowered population would weaken traditional systems of dependency and reduce opportunities for terrorist recruitment.
He maintained that the state’s priority was to ensure that development resources reached the people of Balochistan directly, while continuing to expand opportunities in education, technical training and employment.
Highlighting efforts to strengthen human capital, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif said approximately 11,000 young people from Balochistan receive information technology training every year under various capacity-building initiatives. He described the province’s youth as its greatest resource, saying long-term peace depended on investing in people alongside maintaining an effective security response.
The DG ISPR said Pakistan’s security forces would continue protecting development projects and public infrastructure from terrorist attacks, while government institutions pursued broader socio-economic initiatives aimed at improving living standards across the province.
He added that defeating terrorism required not only successful security operations but also sustained development, improved governance and continued public participation in the province’s economic progress.
