Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed his heartfelt felicitations to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for carrying out a brilliant operation that resulted in the arrest of banned Baloch National Army’s founder Gulzar Imam, alias Shambay.
“This operation speaks of the outstanding professionalism of our institutions. The arrest will help suppress militancy in Balochistan & usher in a new era of peace,” the prime minister posted on his Twitter handle.
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Earlier on Friday, the ISPR said the leading intelligence agency, in a high profile and successful intelligence operation, apprehended a high-value target (HVT) Gulzar Imam, alias Shambay, who was a hardcore militant as well as founder and leader of banned outfit Baloch National Army (BNA).
“He was apprehended after an innovatively conceived, carefully planned, and meticulously executed operation, spanning over months in various geographical locations,” it was added.
‘Terrorists using US weaponry against Pakistan’
The Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in a report revealed that the US weapons left in Afghanistan are being used by the banned Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch separatist groups for militancy in Pakistan.
The international media outlet stated the US, while pulling out of Afghanistan, left behind military equipment and weapons worth seven billion dollars, which later boosted the military capabilities of the banned militant groups in Pakistan.
The RFERL report rejected Kabul’s claims that TTP was not using Afghan soil against Pakistan, as the presence of TTP, ISKP and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan was an undeniable reality.
The report added that using US weapons and equipment, both the TTP and Baloch separatist groups were waging insurgencies against the government in Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in violence over the past two years.
Experts say armed groups have obtained advanced weapons and equipment like M16 machine guns and M4 assault rifles, night-vision goggles, and military communication gear left by US troops while departing Afghanistan.
