Sarfaraz Bugti, former Home Minister and current Senator of Balochistan criticized
Baloch militants have bombed a statue of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the coastal city of Gwadar in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province. A statue of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah was erected in June at Marine Drive, considered a safe haven, according to a report in a local newspaper on Monday. An explosive device placed under the statue was detonated on Sunday morning. According to reports, the idol was completely destroyed in the blast.
According to a BBC Urdu report, Babbar Baloch, spokesman of the banned terrorist organization Baloch Republican Army, has claimed responsibility for the blast on Twitter. BBC Urdu quoted Gwadar Deputy Major (Retd) Abdul Kabir Khan as saying that the matter is being investigated at a higher level. Abdul Kabir Khan said that the terrorists who had vandalized Jinnah’s statue with explosives had infiltrated the area under the guise of tourists. According to him, no arrest has been made so far, but the investigation will be completed in a day or two. He said that the matter is being probed from all angles and the culprits will be caught soon.
Former Balochistan Home Minister and current Senator Sarfaraz Bugti tweeted, “Demolition of Qaida-e-Azam statue in Gwadar was an attack on Pakistani ideology. I urge the authorities to give the harshest punishment to the perpetrators.”
Earlier in 2013, Baloch rebels blew up the 121-year-old Jinnah building in Ziarat. The explosion caused a massive fire in the building, which was brought under control after about four hours. Zina spent the last days of her life here suffering from tuberculosis (TB). The building was later declared a national monument. Significantly, Mohammad Ali Zina was the leader of the All India Muslim League from 1913 until the establishment of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. He then served as the Governor General of Pakistan until his death in 1948.