ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces (CFD) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday blamed militant groups allegedly sponsored by India for fueling violence and disrupting development in the province, warning the military will foil their designs.
Munir was speaking to participants of the 18th National Workshop on Balochistan (NWB) at the General Headquarters of the military in Rawalpindi. The NWB features discussions on Pakistan’s policies on security, development and other challenges related to Balochistan by officials, leaders and citizens.
Pakistan accuses India of sponsoring militant groups in its southwestern Balochistan province, who demand independence from Islamabad. India rejects the allegations. These ethnic Baloch militant groups accuse Pakistan’s government and military of denying locals a share in the province’s mineral wealth, charges that both deny.
“Highlighting the security challenges, the COAS & CDF remarked that Indian-sponsored proxies continue to propagate violence and disrupt development in Balochistan,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement.
“He reaffirmed that such inimical designs will be thwarted through stern actions by security forces to rid the province of terrorism and unrest.”
