TERRORISTS’ ATTACK – BOLAN / MACH

TERRORISTS’ ATTACK – BOLAN / MACH
Bolan Pass (Dara-i-Bolan) is an historical 89 Km mountainous route,
consisting of narrow gorges and stretches, connecting Quetta and Sibbi by
road and railway. Its strategical location, as a gateway to and from fertile
lands of South Asia, had been used by marching armies, merchants and
migrants since ages. Britishers, in their counter measures to the colonial
force of Czars of Russia, laid railway tracks through Bolan Pass to ensure
safe and speedy approach to Spin Boldak. The track is still in use, even today
two locomotives are used to pull the train from Sibbi to Kohlpur owing to
steep uphill track. The strategic linkage provided by Bolan Pass is vital to
continue economic and social activities in the region even in present times.
It not only connects Punjab and Balochistan through rail and road but Gas
Pipelines are laid and Electricity Towers are erected here for steady and
continuous power and gas supply to the provincial capital.
Apart from being an important route, the Bolan mountains are a very
popular tourist attraction especially for the local people. With its fresh water
streams, the dates orchards and luxurious green lawns, Peer Ghaib is visited
by hundreds of locals to spend a day in the lap of nature. This site became
the most visited tourist spot after Ziarat in the northern part of Balochistan,
when Frontier Corps Balochistan renovated it, not only by spending a hefty
amount of money but by laying down their precious lives (six Frontier Corps’
soldiers got martyred in a mine blast at Peer Ghaib in 2020) also, to provide
quality recreational facilities to the local people as a corporate social
responsibility (CSR).
The evening of 29th January 2024, once again highlighted the
importance of Bolan’s strategic location when terrorists of Baloch Liberation

Army (BLA), in a failed attempt, tried to capture the area from Kohlpur to
Gokurt (70 Km). They attacked at fourteen different locations including the
restaurants, Mach Railway Station, Mach Jail and check posts established
by Law enforcement Agencies (LEAs). Their evil aim, in general, was to
disconnect the important supply lines of Quetta city and to shun locals from
enjoying any recreational activity, but their real intention was to create panic
among the people of Balochistan, influencing the conduct of general
elections 2024 nearing to be held just within a week. The attack was carried
out with immense force consisting of around 100 terrorists, fully trained and
armed from head to toe, ravaging forth with a killing spree.
Next morning, the main stream and social media was flooded with the
news of terrorist attack at Mach city, reporting the burning of restaurants,
lorries carrying goods and other public properties. Frontier Corps
Balochistan and the Balochistan Police, already on red alert anticipating
terrorist activities as forerunners of general elections 2024, responded
readily and averted the attack with such professional brilliance that the
attackers ran leaving behind loads of their ammunition and fourteen bodies
of their fellow men condemned to hell. Four brave sons of soil met martyrdom
and eleven got injured but saved hundreds of citizens of Pakistan from
meeting brutal fate. The 79 Km area was cleared within just two days and
the routine life returned to its previous pace. The railway and road networks
started functioning and rebuilding process started. Local population was all
the time more thankful to their LEAs and showed confidence in them.
Even before carrying out massive attacks this year, enemy tried to
throw Balochistan in the raging fire of sectarian violence on 3rd January,
2021, when eleven innocent, poor mine-workers belonging to Shia Sect of

Muslims were first kidnapped and then brutally slaughtered in the Mach
region of Bolan. The conspiracy was so meticulously framed that the threat
of sectarian violence to emerge across the province in no time was predicted.
The Hazar community went on sit-in at Quetta demanding justice for the
deceased. The LEAs left no stone unturned in averting the calamity and
were successful as the sit-in was lifted peacefully and the funerals of the
martyrs were performed with heavy hearts. Later a lethal operation was
launched by Frontier Corps Balochistan in the region against the terrorists
neutralizing and arresting a number of insurgents avenging the workers.
Such incidents are not new but the way security forces are handling
these incidents now is novel. Now the attacks are not much fatal as they
used to be in past. The response by security personnels is so much forceful
now that the terrorists have to bear heavy losses each time they proceed
with their evil intentions. Every time when security forces come out victorious
from such combats their training, readiness and courage are praised.
“Readiness is all” (Shakespear) is the motto of our forces being ready to
counter any terrorist activity trying to tarnish the peace of our beloved
country.
It is obvious like daylight that a prosperous and peaceful Pakistan is against
the interests of few fanatic groups, who for some political or dogmatic gains
become hostile and opt the way of violence. And when foreign intelligence
agencies pick these individuals or groups to play their own harp then the
things get worse. There are intelligence reports that the attackers of Bolan
and Mach were in constant contact with their handlers sitting in Iran, using
satellite phones. Similarly, during the attacks on other areas of Balochistan
like Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Panjgoor etc the connections of terrorists were

traced back either to Afghanistan or Iran and further to the enemy of our
souls, India. India is found to be supporting every terrorist activity in
Balochistan directly or indirectly. The arrest of Kalbushan Yadav from
outskirts of Quetta and the seizure of Indian Arms and ammunition from the
terrorists speaks volumes of Indian involvement. It implies that both, internal
and external enemies of Pakistan, are working hand in glove with each other
towards destabilizing us. In which, InshaAllah, they will never succeed.
The need of the hour is that all Pakistanis should work hand in hand
towards the progress of the country and stand united. Our strength is our
unity. Quaid’s three principles: Faith, Unity and Discipline, must be followed
religiously and then and only then the enemy can be defeated. Faith, in our
Army and other security force: Unity, among all the citizens of Pakistan and
discipline to stand with the nation upfront, leaving individual interests behind.
Enemy entices innocent Pakistanis with his wealth and provokes them to
betray their land with false propaganda and fabricated information. He
unveils before them, under the mask of their friends and countrymen, who
have already taken oath of infidelity on his hands, and lures them to join. The
flute of unjust distribution of resources and the crocodile tears of lack of
opportunities are shed to mold the hearts of young Balochis away from paths
of patriotism. Some of ignorant, innocent people join his quarters and
become facilitators in his evil cause. Enemy knows that Pakistan’s security
forces will never take arms against their own countrymen so the shield of
local politics is craftly used to make people and security forces to confront
each other.
The propaganda is done mostly through social media and partly
through main media. It is axiomatic that rumor spreads faster than the truth,

so the false information is available all around and it becomes difficult to filter
truth from lies. The only yard stick left to weigh right and wrong is to evaluate
that if the information brought to you portrays positive image of Pakistan and
its Army and other security forces then the information is true otherwise, is
just a propaganda stunt. All must avoid spreading false messages and
information and must not become facilitators of hostile forces.
Frontier Corps Balochistan and other security forces are keeping track
of the enemies of state in Balochistan and have always made them lick the
dust during their fallacious ventures to tarnish the peace of this beautiful
piece of land. The success rate of LEAs against the terrorists is very high as
today their intentions to either stop or delay general elections have failed,
when a large number of people of Balochistan came out of their homes and
casted their votes without fear, performing their role as responsible citizens
of Pakistan. Today Pakistan is in the transition phase of change of powers in
the Houses of Legislation, which, is no doubt, was never wanted by its
enemies. They always tried to create panic and tried to force people stay at
their homes on the day of elections owing to fear of terrorist attacks but due
to highly professional commitment of Pak Army and other security forces the
elections were held as smoothly as it may happen anywhere in the globe and
the world witnessed an historic turn out of the masses, showing confidence
in their security agencies.