ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities announced on Thursday the creation of a dedicated “red notice cell” to pursue nationals abroad accused of sponsoring militant attacks, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the restive southwestern province of Balochistan amid renewed security concerns.
The move was announced at a press conference in the provincial capital Quetta by senior civilian and counterterrorism officials, who said the cell would coordinate legal cases seeking Interpol red notices against suspects based overseas, while also confirming the dismantling of a militant network accused of using underage children for logistical and financial activities.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area and bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the center of a low-intensity insurgency involving separatist groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Balochistan Liberation Front. Islamabad alleges that senior commanders of these groups operate from abroad and direct attacks inside Pakistan, claims denied by neighboring countries like India and Afghanistan repeatedly named by Pakistani officials.
“Our red notice cell has also been activated, lists for red notices have already been prepared,” Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat announced at a press conference.
