British News Agency

Pakistan on Saturday refused to negotiate with insurgents who seized security facilities and administrative centers in more than a dozen cities across Balochistan.

The attacks killed a total of 197 insurgents, 36 civilians and at least 22 security personnel. Fighting continued until Tuesday. Officials said the assaults were the largest and deadliest since the insurgency began in the province in 2004.

Addressing the National Assembly on Monday, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif said, “No one in Pakistan will be allowed to legitimize violence.”

“Attempting to legitimize violence or portray it as a freedom movement is unacceptable, because it is not true. It is a cover to justify criminal activities,” he added.

Asif also blamed “India-backed elements” for fueling violence from safe havens in Afghanistan. India has repeatedly denied Islamabad’s claims that New Delhi is secretly backing the insurgency in Balochistan.

Critics say Islamabad’s reaffirmation of a zero-tolerance policy—driven in part by its desire to realize the commercial potential of Balochistan’s vast copper and other critical metal reserves—will further inflame public sentiment at a time when the 22-year-old insurgency persists.

National Party of Balochistan leader Mengal said, “This crisis is a direct result of the hatred, force and repression used over the past three years,” adding that the province-wide assault should serve as a “serious warning” to the Pakistani government and the politically dominant military leadership.

However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s political affairs adviser Rana Sanaullah Khan told the Senate on Monday, “No one is angry in Balochistan, and there is no issue regarding rights.” Instead, he claimed the insurgents were acting “on the instructions of the enemy” against Pakistan.