Rashid rules out involvement of foreign elements

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid on Saturday ruled out the possibility of the involvement of foreign elements in multiple terrorist attacks in Balochistan, saying that complete support would be extended to the provincial government to arrest the culprits involved in the attacks and stop the recurrence of such incidents.
Talking to media persons here, Pervez Rashid strongly condemned terrorist attacks on the Quaid-e-Azam Residency Ziarat and Bolan Medical Complex Quetta in which several persons were killed. He said it was premature to consider that foreign elements were involved in the attacks. "If foreign elements were involved in the attacks, they must have been provided support within Pakistan. It is too early to...blame any country sharing borders with Pakistan," Rashid maintained.
A few elements in Balochistan, who believe in gun politics, had raised arms in reprisal after the murder of veteran Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, adding that the dissidents needed to end the gun politics. "They should join real parliamentary politics," Rashid urged.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government "wants to bring the annoyed youth of Balochistan, who raised arms, to national politics", enabling them to play a positive role. When he was asked whether the government was ready to negotiate terrorist elements, he said that the government was willing to negotiate with militants, including Taliban. The government "believes in politics of reconciliation and would try its level best to address all concerns of different militant groups, if they lay down arms and are willing to negotiate with the government", Rashid said.
The information Minister said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had contacted Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch on telephone just after the incident and assured him of full support. "The country is facing two major challenges - law and order and energy crisis," he said, adding that no foreign investor would invest in Pakistan because of the existing deteriorating law and order situation, so restoring peace was crucial in this regard, the Information Minister said.