By our correspondent
QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has stepped into the heart of one of the country’s most sensitive debates, asserting on the floor of the provincial assembly that the issue of missing persons has long been weaponized as a propaganda tool. The real solution, he insisted, lies not in rhetoric but in the letter of the law.
Bugti, a figure often known for his tough stance on security, rose to defend the newly tabled Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, which has already stirred sharp debate within and beyond the assembly chamber. He argued that the amendment, if passed, would serve as a necessary shield for state institutions against what he described as “deliberate maligning.”
“This law is not to suppress anyone,” Bugti said in a firm tone that cut through the increasingly tense atmosphere in the house. “It is to stop the deliberate maligning of our security forces and institutions.” He was adamant that narratives around enforced disappearances are often exaggerated or manipulated, turning what should be a matter of legal scrutiny into political mudslinging.
Bugti, however, appeared unfazed by the criticism. He doubled down on his view that the ongoing discourse around missing persons is often detached from the realities on the ground. “The missing persons issue has been politicized and used as a weapon to malign the state,” he said, reiterating a view that has drawn both support from nationalist quarters and alarm from rights groups.
