QUETTA: Balochistan’s Caretaker Minister for Information, Jan Achakzai, on Sunday alleged that neighbouring countries are engaging in blackmail tactics against Pakistan as the nation grapples with a recent surge in terror attacks.
Jan Achakzai made this statement during a press conference held in Quetta. The interim minister’s remarks come in the wake of a shocking attack on Friday, where 14 soldiers were martyred after terrorists targeted two vehicles carrying security forces in Gwadar. According to Achakzai, six Afghan nationals were involved in the Zhob terrorist attack.
During the press conference, Achakzai highlighted a concerning pattern. He mentioned that a day before the attack on Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) Mianwali base, social media accounts affiliated with India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were conveying advance congratulations and warnings of a major incident. He pointed out the complexity of the attack and indicated that only an organization like RAW could mastermind such an operation.
Attack on Pakistan Air Force’s Mianwali Base
Referring to the attack on the PAF’s Mianwali base, Achakzai emphasized that the location’s strategic importance made it clear that an ordinary terrorist group couldn’t carry out such an assault. On Saturday, Pakistan’s security forces successfully thwarted a major terrorist attack on the training base, killing all nine terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated.
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Pakistan has recently witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks. A report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) noted that security forces lost at least 386 personnel in the first nine months of 2023, marking an eight-year high. In the third quarter alone, over 400 people lost their lives in nearly 200 terror attacks and counter-terror operations.
On Friday, a blast targeting a police van in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulted in six deaths and 20 injuries, including two policemen. Additionally, five soldiers were martyred in two separate intelligence-based operations conducted by security forces on the same day.
