• Source:JND

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif has admitted the failure of the Pakistani Army in protecting its own citizens from the armed "terrorists", citing that the terror groups have more advanced weapons than the country’s armed forces.

Khawaja said the terror groups are using advanced weapons which are equipped with the latest features, like a heat sensor, which helps in detecting targets, which costs around PKR 20,00,000.

Pakistan's defence minister big admission

"Let me also tell you about the weapons they've got… Their rifle itself is worth 20 lakh Pakistani rupees. We don't have those kinds of rifles. Thermal sights cost between $4,000 and $5,000. All the gear they have put together is worth about PKR 20,00,000,” the Pakistani defence minister said in the Parliament.

Balochistan violence

The statement from Khawaja came days after Pakistani security forces killed about two dozen militants overnight in multiple raids in the insurgency-hit southwest bordering Afghanistan, raising the militant death toll to 177 in the past 48 hours, officials said Monday. The announcement follows a wave of coordinated insurgent attacks that killed 50 people, mostly civilians, including women and children.

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“Balochistan constitutes over 40 per cent of Pakistan geographically… To control it is much more difficult than a populated city, and it needs the deployment of massive forces. Our troops are deployed there and are in action against them (terrorists), but they are physically handicapped by guarding and patrolling such a big area," he said.

Police backed by the military have been conducting raids in several areas against members of the outlawed separatist Baloch Liberation Army since early Saturday, after nearly 200 militants in small groups carried out simultaneous suicide bombings and gun attacks on police stations, civilian homes and security facilities across Balochistan province.

Analysts say the scale of militant deaths in the past 48 hours is the highest in decades.

Asif ruled out any possibility of talks with the BLA, saying no talks would be held with “terrorists” who killed civilians, including women and children, when they attacked residences of Baloch labourers in the port city of Gwadar on Saturday.

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Where is Balochistan?

Though it is Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan is its least populated, made up largely of high mountains. It’s also a hub for the country’s ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. That has fueled a separatist insurgency demanding independence. Islamic militants also operate in the province.

The BLA, which is banned in Pakistan, has carried out numerous attacks in recent years, frequently targeting security forces, Chinese interests and infrastructure projects. Authorities say the group has operated with support from the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers.

(With inputs from agency)


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