28 militants surrendered in Quetta and Panjgur on Monday.
The men included five leaders and 23 members of banned militant organizations. Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti and Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani bore witness at the Quetta Press Club as Abdul Sattar Masoori Bugti, Iftikhar Bugti, Najeebullah Bugti and Idrees Rind (4 of the militant leaders) surrendered their weapons. They were affiliated with the banned Baloch Republican Army (BRA). Their decision to abandon militant activities was heralded as a major victory by Mir Sarfaraz, who said that these former “right hands of Barhamdagh Bugti” would now contribute to Pakistan’s development and prosperity.
Speaking at the occasion, Sattar Masoori – who had gone to Afghanistan in 2006 and spent time in Nimruz province – said the BRA had set up 20 to 30 camps in Sobatpur, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Dera Bugti and other areas. He, along with many other BRA militants, had received training in camps in the Afghan district of Spin Boldak and Nimruz to carry out subversion activities. Claiming that the Indian intelligence agency RAW and Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) were involved in funding and training BRA militants, he added that they also provided arms, ammunition and transport.
Masoori Bugti said that Najeebullah Bugti was responsible for camps in Chagai and said that he and the other militants present at the Quette Press Club had decided to serve their people by joining the mainstream.
In Panjgur, Health Minister Rehmat Saleh Baloch bore witness as a fifth militant leader (identified by official sources as Hamal) and 23 members of banned military groups surrendered their weapons to Frontier Corps (FC) officials. The men had been affiliated with BRA and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Home Minister Mir Sarfraz guaranteed the government’s protection and financial assistance to the surrendering militants under the Puramn Balochistan package.
“The militants have to surrender,” he said, “or they will have to face stern action.”