Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, has said that while security forces are fully capable of defeating terrorists, the greater challenge lies in countering the narrative that fuels separatism and unrest.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society in Lahore, Bugti made it clear that militants are not the real threat — it is the ideology they peddle. “The forces will take care of the terrorists. That’s not a big issue. The term ‘disgruntled Baloch’ is not ours; it’s a creation of confused intellectuals in Punjab,” he remarked bluntly.
Bugti denounced attempts to justify violence under the guise of human rights, saying, “I stand with the women whose husbands and sons were pulled from buses and executed. I will not stand with those pushing a specific agenda in the name of human rights.”
He dismissed the need for a full-scale military operation in Balochistan, stressing the importance of intelligence-based action. “Only a small fraction — two or three percent — dream of breaking Pakistan. It won’t happen. The army chief’s commitment to quelling terrorism in Balochistan is heartfelt,” he added in a later interview with Geo News.
The CM emphasised youth empowerment as the key to a lasting solution: “We are offering jobs on merit. The fight wasn’t started by the state — they fired the first shot. Our goal is to equip the younger generation with opportunity, not ideology.”
Bugti also made a clear distinction between religion and extremism: “The TTP has nothing to do with Islam, and Islam has nothing to do with the TTP.”
As Balochistan continues to grapple with sporadic violence, Bugti’s remarks signal a firm shift — from just fighting militants to dismantling the narrative that sustains them.
