Zarb-e-Azb
In a strongly worded joint press conference held in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Interior Secretary, Captain (retd) Khurram Agha, alongside the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, condemned the recent terrorist attack in Khuzdar, Balochistan, describing it as an attack on the nation’s future.
The May 21 assault on a school bus tragically claimed the lives of six children and another civilian, while injuring 31 others. The attack has shocked the nation and reignited calls for a decisive crackdown on terrorist elements operating within the country.
Addressing the press, Interior Secretary Khurram Agha laid direct blame on India-backed proxies, particularly naming the group “Fitna-ul-Hindustan,” which he claimed carried out the brutal attack with support from India’s intelligence agency, RAW. He emphasized that the assault was not merely an act of terrorism but a direct blow to Pakistan’s societal values and collective future.
“This was not just an attack on children—it was an attack on our future and our values,” he stated with visible emotion. Agha also linked the Khuzdar tragedy to a broader pattern of destabilization allegedly orchestrated by India. He asserted that following the failure of India’s covert “Operation Sindoor,” Indian proxies were instructed to ramp up their activities across Balochistan and other sensitive regions in Pakistan.
“This is the same playbook India used in 1971,” Agha noted, referencing historical events. “But Pakistanis are wiser and stronger now. We will not allow it to succeed this time.”
The Interior Secretary assured the public that the state is fully prepared to respond with force. He confirmed that plans for a comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign are underway, drawing comparisons to Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a successful military operation launched in 2014 against terrorist strongholds.
“Our intelligence agencies, the armed forces, and provincial governments are working in complete harmony. The state has both the resolve and the capacity to eliminate these terror networks,” Agha said. He added that the National Action Plan (NAP) is being revisited and implemented with renewed vigor, with monthly review sessions chaired by the Prime Minister in close coordination with provincial authorities.
DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif also addressed the gathering, reinforcing the government’s position and blaming Indian proxies for the continued violence in Balochistan. He expressed particular outrage over the targeting of innocent schoolchildren, which he said represented a horrifying new low for these groups.
“These terrorists, funded by Indian money, have no respect for human life, Baloch cultural values, or any sense of morality,” said the military spokesman. “But they have gravely misjudged the strength of our national resolve. The entire Pakistani nation stands behind our security forces.”
In conclusion, Khurram Agha issued a direct warning to those involved in terrorism. “There is no place for you in Pakistan. Those who act on behalf of foreign agendas and harm our people will be held accountable. Our response will be decisive and uncompromising. These cowardly attacks will not go unanswered. Justice will be served.”
The statements by the two senior officials underscore Pakistan’s heightened security alert and the serious measures being considered to combat the resurgence of terrorism, especially in regions like Balochistan that have long been targeted by destabilizing forces.
