Pakistani official hints presence of ‘IS’ in Baluchistan

The chief minister of the insurgency-hit Balochistan stressed that he cannot rule out the presence of Islamic State (IS) militants in the province.

In an exclusive interview with local daily Dawn News, the Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said that religious extremism and fanaticism has risen in the province over the last three decades.

Dr Malik explained that religious fanatics have penetrated Baloch society in the aftermath of the USSR's invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan.

“I cannot rule out presence of IS or any militant group in Balochistan,” he said when asked about reports pointing to the presence of  extremist militant in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and resource-rich province.

Despite having large reserves of oil and gas, Balochistan remains one of Pakistan's most impoverished provinces. Bomb blasts and attacks by the terrorist groups are common in the region which currently faces sectarian-motivated terrorism and Baloch tribal insurgency.

The IS group has already distributed its booklets in Peshawar and surrounding areas in order to seek support of local terrorists.