Authorities say Islamabad has been saved from a major disaster after the Counter Terrorism Department arrested a young woman allegedly being prepared for a suicide attack.
The woman, identified as Khairun-Nisa from Turbat, said she was threatened, blackmailed and forced to work for the Baloch Liberation Army.
Khairun-Nisa said her cousin threatened to kill her father and forced her to work for the organization. She said she came from a poor family and that her father is a driver.
According to her, she stayed silent out of fear that her family would be harmed.
‘I didn’t want to carry out an attack’
Khairun-Nisa said she never wanted to carry out a suicide attack. She claimed extremists brainwashed her by giving examples of two or three suicide bombers.
She said she was blindfolded twice and taken to the mountains, where she was introduced to leaders of the group.
Khairun-Nisa said she was only made to deliver mobile cards and food. She added that even while receiving treatment at Hub Chowki, she continued to receive instructions related to a suicide attack.
After her cousin was arrested, she said she broke her mobile phone out of fear.
Khairun-Nisa said police took her into custody and kept her in a safe place. She said she was treated with dignity and respect after her arrest.
“Thank God I survived the suicide attack. I was being forced towards this,” she said.
Appeal to young women
Khairun-Nisa appealed to other girls not to support such organizations. “This path is wrong,” she said.
She added that her dream is to become a doctor or a teacher and that she only wants to continue her education.
Balochistan CM praises security agencies
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said the girl had earlier been reported missing. He said security agencies traced her and found that she was not missing but was receiving training from a terrorist organization.
According to the chief minister, she was being prepared for a suicide attack in Islamabad, though she had not been told about the target.
Bugti said women are being used in Balochistan and described the exploitation of the young girl as shameful. He said the girl was underage and had been badly exploited.
The chief minister said her father is a truck driver and that the government is handing her over with honour. He added that security for the girl and her father would be monitored.
CM says terrorists want anarchy
Bugti said terrorists have no nationality, religion or connection with Baloch traditions. He said women have historically been symbols of peace and were once used to end wars, not fight them.
The chief minister said Baloch people had been pushed into a futile war and that terrorists only wanted anarchy in Balochistan.
Bugti alleged that India wants to disturb peace in Pakistan through such actions. He said the state of Pakistan has evidence about who is behind terrorism.
He also said poverty cannot be used as an excuse for terrorism, as poor people earn a respectable living through hard work.
Farah Azeem says youth must be protected
Balochistan MPA Farah Azeem said CTD had saved the country from a huge disaster. She said “Fitna-ul-Hindustan” had become active again and that Pakistan had defeated the enemy in the fight for justice.
Farah Azeem said scholarships are being introduced for students and that the Balochistan Talent Hunt Program is also being launched.
She said Pakistan must protect its youth and work on its weaknesses.
Officials said the government is focused on saving young people from extremist recruitment. Farah Azeem said terrorists have no link with any religion and that the enemy wants to destabilise Pakistan.
She added that the enemy would not succeed in its ambitions.
