KARACHI (MNN); Law enforcement agencies in Karachi have thwarted a planned suicide bombing and safely rescued a minor Baloch girl who was being groomed by banned militant organisations, Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said on Monday.
Addressing a joint press conference with Additional Inspector General of Police (CTD) Azad Khan, the minister said extremist elements linked to Fitna Al Hindustan were increasingly targeting children and exploiting social media to radicalise vulnerable minds.
He revealed that a network connected to the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) attempted to brainwash the underage girl and push her towards carrying out a suicide attack. Timely and effective action by security agencies not only saved the girl’s life but also prevented a potential tragedy in Karachi.
Additional IG CTD Sindh said the girl was taken into protective custody during a sensitive intelligence-based operation on the night of December 25. Investigations showed she had been gradually influenced through extremist and hateful content on social media.
Officials said the girl had been secretly using a mobile phone without her mother’s knowledge. Militant handlers first approached her under the guise of sympathy and emotional support before attempting to convince her to carry out an attack.
Authorities added that the girl was deceived into travelling to Karachi. However, strict security checks at police checkpoints prevented the handler from moving her to the intended location, leading to the exposure of the plot.
During questioning, the girl shared key details about the militant network, its contacts and methods. Considering her age, her family was immediately informed. Her identity was kept confidential, and she was handed over to her family with full protection and dignity, while investigations continue.
At the press conference, audio statements of the girl and her mother were played with identities concealed. The girl said she was initially exposed to hateful content online, which gradually intensified. She was sent speeches and links portraying suicide attacks as acts of bravery and was made to believe that sacrificing one’s life was the highest goal.
She said the handler further exploited her vulnerability after learning about her father’s death. She added that she now understood the destruction she was being pushed towards and recalled feeling terrified when questioned at a police checkpoint.
The girl stressed that Baloch traditions teach respect for women and do not allow the sacrifice of women or girls. She said those who recruit in the name of sacrifice are not helpers but predators.
Her mother said she shared her statement in the public interest so that no other girl would fall victim to such tactics, adding that the state protected her daughter’s life, dignity and future like a mother.
The Additional IG CTD urged social media platforms to take strict action against extremist content, shut down radical accounts and improve monitoring systems. He also advised parents to closely supervise their children’s online activities, warning that a single mobile phone could put an entire family at risk.
The Sindh interior minister said the incident clearly showed that banned outfits were exploiting women and underage girls. He stressed that suicide attacks have no place in Islam, humanity or Baloch culture, calling the use of young girls for violence one of the most heinous forms of terrorism and human abuse.
