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QUETTA, Aug 18 (APP):The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, has revealed that a significant terrorist plot for Independence Day celebrations on August 14 was successfully thwarted by security agencies.
At a press conference on Monday, Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti announced the arrest of Dr Muhammad Usman Qazi, a Grade-18 lecturer at BUITEMS University, accused of being a key facilitator for the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
“If a professor becomes a terrorist, you cannot garland him,” Bugti declared in a press conference held here, flanked by senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary Home Hamza Shafqaat, Acting IG Police Saeed Wazir, and Provincial Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind.
CM Bugti warned that those aiding terrorist elements, regardless of their social or professional status, would be held accountable.
Bugti credited security agencies for foiling the planned August 14 attack, calling it evidence of the state’s firm resolve against anti-state elements.
The Chief Minister said the public unveiling of Dr Qazi’s arrest was meant to send a strong message against terrorism and its enablers. “The state is up against well-supported elements backed by proscribed outfits.
He emphasized that the insurgency is not rooted in deprivation but is driven by a purely anti-state agenda. Expressing concern over the involvement of educated individuals in terrorism, Sarfraz Bugti revealed that Dr Qazi had provided a pistol to a female facilitator for targeted killings and had also played a role in facilitating a suicide attack at Quetta railway station.
The Chief Minister voiced alarm over the increasing use of women in terrorist networks and announced the formation of a special cell within the Home Department to counter extremism in educational institutions. He added that 2,000 public sector employees have been screened, with those under suspicion being placed on the Fourth Schedule.
CM urged parents to monitor their children and report any suspicious activity, and called on parliamentarians to lead efforts against those who misguide youth under the guise of “Balochiyat.”
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to peace but warned that violence and murder will not be tolerated. To promote positive engagement, the government is allocating Rs1 billion in scholarships for Balochistan students at Punjab University.
During the press conference, a video confession by Dr Qazi was shown to the media. In the video, he admitted to knowingly facilitating terrorist activities despite receiving respect and benefits as a government employee.
After earning his Ph.D from Peshawar University, Qazi said he was recruited into the BLA by Dr Haibatan alias “Kalk” and operated under the alias “Ameer.” He maintained contact with BLA chief Bashir Zeb via Telegram.
Dr Qazi confessed to three major acts of facilitation including providing medical treatment to a regional commander known as “Sher Dil”, harboring two terrorists in his home, one of whom later carried out the Quetta railway station suicide attack and purchasing and supplying a pistol to a female facilitator for targeted killings
He also admitted to sheltering another terrorist, Noman alias “Peerak,” for eight days. Peerak was planning a suicide attack on an August 14 program but was arrested before executing the plan.
Dr Qazi concluded his confession by acknowledging his deliberate involvement in anti-state activities and his role as a facilitator for the BLA.