India's RAW orchestrated Mastung suicide bombing, alleges Sarfraz Bugti

India's RAW orchestrated Mastung suicide bombing, alleges Sarfraz Bugti

QUETTA (Dunya News) – India's foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is behind the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, Federal Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti alleged on Saturday, a day after a grisly suicide bombing targeting a 12th Rabiul Awwal procession in Mastung district claimed lives of 59 people.

Interacting with media here, Bugti accused Indian’s RAW of orchestrating Friday’s suicide bombing through its facilitators based in Balochistan province.

“All major incidents that occurred in Balochistan before this one…they were all unearthed – India’s RAW was behind all these, and the forces who want to destabilise Pakistan,” said the minister.

Bugti did not provide any evidence to support his claims, but added that investigations were in progress and that violence, regardless of the group claiming responsibility, would be met with a befitting response from the state.

It is important to mention here that there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Mastung attack by any group. Even the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan, denied its involvement in Friday’s bombing.

The interior minister vowed to relentlessly pursue terrorists, signalling a departure from the policy of appeasement adopted in recent years. He said that the state was aware of terrorists' locations and safe havens and would take action against them.

Bugti also mentioned a previous attack on JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah earlier in the month, stating that the mastermind behind that attack had been eliminated.

The minister expressed frustration with past instances wherein the state adopted an appeasement policy when dealing with terrorist elements. He made it clear that from now on the state would not hesitate to hunt down any terrorist group, be it Daesh or TTP or anyone else.

In response to a question about the suspension of district commissioners and superintendents of police, Bugti said that Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai could answer it in detail, but emphasised that a thorough investigation would be conducted.

Bugti highlighted that Friday’s terrorist attack targeting a procession on the auspicious occasion of 12th Rabiul Awwal in Balochistan was unprecedented, recalling that previous attacks had targeted the Hazara community and Muharram processions.

Read more: CTD registers case as Mastung suicide blast death toll rises to 59

Regarding the abduction of footballers from Dera Bugti district earlier in the month, Bugti confirmed that four of them had been rescued and the remaining two would also be safely recovered.

The Balochistan caretaker government yesterday announced to observe three days of mourning in the entire province in view of the tragic incident that has so far seen 59 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has registered a first information report (FIR) of the Mastung attack, and are investigating.

In another incident of terrorism, two suicide attackers targeted a police station's mosque in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing five people and wounding 12 others.