Balochistan Says Rs14bn Spent on Counterterrorism, 1,100 Militants Killed
QUETTA: The Balochistan government has passed 18 laws, set up 17 institutions and departments, and spent more than Rs14 billion on counterterrorism measures under the National Action Plan, the Counterterrorism Policy and the Provincial Action Plan, senior provincial officials said on Tuesday.
The officials also claimed that more than 60,000 counterterrorism operations had been conducted across Balochistan up to October this year, in which over 1,100 terrorists were killed, Dawn reported.
The figures presented
The Counter-Terrorism Department alone killed 250 terrorists and arrested another 250 suspects, the officials said. On the other side of the ledger, 101 police personnel and around 200 members of other law enforcement agencies lost their lives, while 551 civilians were killed in terrorist violence.
The figures were revealed at a joint press conference addressed by Provincial Home Minister Ziaullah Langove, Chief Minister’s Adviser on Media and Political Affairs Shahid Rind, and Additional Chief Secretary Home Hamza Shafqaat.
The officials said steps had also been taken to secure the Quetta-Rakhni, Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Taftan highways, and expressed confidence that the security situation would improve over the next three to four months.
Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat said the provincial government had taken a series of measures over the past two years to implement the National Action Plan, the Counter Terrorism Policy and the Provincial Action Plan.
A province under sustained pressure
Balochistan has remained the sharpest edge of Pakistan’s security challenge this year, with militant attacks striking security forces, infrastructure and civilians at regular intervals. The claims made on Tuesday follow a string of recent incidents: security forces killed 11 terrorists in separate operations in K-P and Balochistan earlier this month, while two trailers were torched in Turbat and three people were injured in a Gwadar grenade attack in separate recent assaults.
The province has also been hardening its cities. Quetta is set to get 2,900 surveillance cameras as Balochistan orders a police overhaul, a project aimed at tightening monitoring of the provincial capital.
For context, the National Action Plan cited by the officials is the country’s principal counterterrorism framework, first drawn up after the 2014 Army Public School attack in Peshawar and revived in updated form since. The 18 new provincial laws and 17 institutions the government points to are presented as Balochistan’s share of that national effort.
What to watch
Officials offered no independent verification of the operation counts or casualty figures, which could not be confirmed from other sources. The test of the claims will be the security situation on the ground over the coming months — particularly along the highways the government says it has now secured, and in Quetta, where the camera network is still being rolled out.
The counterterrorism debate is also running in parallel with the political crisis in neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the federal government has tied governor’s rule to counterterrorism cooperation rather than political motives.
Frequently asked questions
How much has Balochistan spent on counterterrorism?
Provincial officials say more than Rs14 billion has been spent under the National Action Plan, the Counterterrorism Policy and the Provincial Action Plan.
How many operations have been conducted?
The government claims over 60,000 counterterrorism operations have been carried out across Balochistan up to October 2026, killing more than 1,100 terrorists.
What laws and institutions are involved?
Officials say 18 laws have been passed and 17 institutions and departments established under the security plans, though details of each were not released at the press conference.
*Source: Dawn*
