KARACHI -UNS: To bring permanent peace to the province, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that terrorism remains the country’s biggest challenge, stressing that Balochistan’s issues must be resolved through political consensus to ensure decisions benefit its people.
“Terrorism is Pakistan’s biggest challenge, but Balochistan’s solution is political… Decisions must be taken with consensus so that people truly benefit,” said Bilawal while addressing a press conference in Karachi.
The country, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan, has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021.
In August, the incidents surged by 74% compared to July, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
Last month, the United States formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its militant faction, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).
The move also adds the Majeed Brigade as an alias to BLA’s previous listing as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group. The BLA, first designated as an SDGT in 2019, has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks since then, including suicide bombings carried out by the Majeed Brigade.
