QUETTA: Law enforcement agencies arrested two brothers of Abdul Razzaq Baloch, who had been killed with two other militants of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) during Friday’s attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, in Kharan on Saturday.

The investigation agencies found that one of the slain militants — Razzaq Baloch — belonged to Kharan. Sources said that law enforcement agencies conducted raids in different areas of Kharan on Saturday and took two of his bothers — Mohammad Aslam and Khosti — in custody. They were handed over to the authorities for interrogation.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Saleem Ahmad Khosa said that the name of Razzaq Baloch had been put on the missing persons’ list over the past two years. He said that a large number of people mentioned in the list had gone aboard for terrorism training.

The minister said that BLA commander Aslam alias Acho had been injured in a gun battle with security forces last year, but he managed to escape and later went to India where he was provided medical treatment.

He said that many BLA commanders had been killed in that operation conducted by security forces. The minister said that India was directly involved in the worsening situation in Baloch­istan.

However, he added, the designs of the enemy would be foiled as had been done during the attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi. He termed the botched attack an attempt to harm the growing relations between China and Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2018