Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced on Monday that security agencies successfully foiled a terrorist attack planned for August 14, saving countless lives. Addressing a press conference in Quetta alongside top officials, he revealed that a would-be suicide bomber had been arrested before carrying out the attack targeting Independence Day celebrations.
The chief minister praised the efforts of the Balochistan Counter-Terrorism Department, police, and other security agencies for their swift action. He shared a recorded statement of the arrested man, who shockingly disclosed his academic background — holding a master’s degree from Quaid-i-Azam University, a PhD from Peshawar University, and serving as a Grade-18 lecturer. The man’s wife was also a government employee, raising questions about narratives that militancy is fueled by deprivation.
CM Bugti further linked the arrested lecturer to the November 2024 Quetta Railway Station bombing, where 32 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. He alleged that the lecturer facilitated the bomber by transporting him to the attack site before handing him over to another handler. The revelations highlighted the involvement of seemingly well-integrated individuals in terrorist networks.
Rejecting claims that militancy stems from poverty and lack of opportunity, Bugti termed it a “concocted narrative” aimed at legitimizing violence against Pakistan. He stressed that the arrested man and his family benefited from government jobs, education scholarships, and state support, proving that militancy cannot be justified under the guise of deprivation.
