Interior Secretary Capt (retd) Khurram Agha blamed India-backed terrorist proxies for the brutal terrorist attack on a school bus in Balochistan's Khuzdar on May 21, in which six children and another person were martyred, and 31 others injured.
In a joint press conference with ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the interior secretary said the attack, carried out by Fitna-ul-Hindustan, has drawn nationwide outrage and renewed the government's commitment to dismantling terror networks operating inside Pakistan.
“This was not just an attack on children -- it was an attack on our future and our values,” Khurram Agha stated. He added that initial investigations revealed the attack was carried out by Fitna-ul-Hindustan with the help of RAW, India’s intelligence agency.
India accused of destabilising Balochistan
According to the interior secretary, the Khuzdar attack came in the wake of the failure of India’s so-called Operation Sindoor. In the aftermath, India reportedly directed its proxies to intensify terrorist activity across Balochistan and other vulnerable regions in Pakistan to sabotage regional development.
“This is the same playbook India used in 1971. But the people of Pakistan will not allow it to succeed this time,” said Agha. “We are determined to root out every facilitator and perpetrator of terrorism.”
Pakistan’s security on high alert
Khurram Agha assured that the state, the provincial government, and Pakistan’s security institutions are united in their efforts to crush the resurgence of terrorism. “The state has both the intention and the capacity to dismantle these networks,” he said, noting that preparations are complete for any potential large-scale counter-terror operations, similar to Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
He also confirmed that the National Action Plan is being revisited and implemented with greater urgency, with monthly reviews chaired by the prime minister, in close coordination with provincial governments.
Also addressing the media was ISPR DG, who reiterated that Indian proxies are behind the wave of violence in Balochistan. He emphasized that targeting innocent schoolchildren represented a new low for terrorist groups and would only strengthen Pakistan's resolve.
“These terrorists, sponsored by Indian money, have no respect for life, Baloch tradition, or humanity,” said the DG ISPR. “But they will not break our national spirit. The entire nation stands behind our security forces.”
'No place for you in Pakistan'
Khurram Agha concluded with a stern warning to those involved in terrorism. “There is no place in Pakistan for terrorists supported by India. Our resolve is firm, and our response will be decisive. These cowardly acts will not succeed. Justice will be served.”
