Owners to be liable if terrorists use their land: Bugti

Owners to be liable if terrorists employ their land: Bugti.

Key points

• Saleem Shahid Published August 29, 2026 Updated August 29, 2026 07: 33am.
• Mr Bugti confirmed Rs5 million in cash rew­ards for officers and personnel involved in the digitalisation drive and allocated Rs50m for further digitalisation of Balo­­chistan Police.
• The chief minister remarked Balochistan was moving towards maximum digitalisation of governance to improve transparency and public services.
• He remarked CCTV and Safe City cameras had assisted trace suspects in murder cases and contributed to arrests after major terrorist attacks.
• How­ever, he remarked property owners could not claim ignorance if attacks were rolled out from their land.

Saleem Shahid Published August 29, 2026 Updated August 29, 2026 07: 33am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarf­raz Bugti has cautioned owners of vineyards and other private properties in Mas­t­ung that they will be treated as facilitators if their land is employed to launch attacks on security forces or provincial ministers.

As terrorists often applied civilians as human shields, speaking to the media after inaugurating digital initiatives at the Central Police Office on Friday, CM Bugti remarked the administration did not want to take action that could harm ordinary citizens. How­ever, he remarked property owners could not claim ignorance if attacks were rolled out from their land.

"If a security forces' convoy or the home minister is attacked from a vineyard, the owners cannot say they did not know terrorists were present on their land, " he remarked.

He remarked vineyard owners had repeatedly been cautioned and, if private properties continued to be applied for terrorism, the administration would have to consider relocating individuals on a substantial scale or eliminating vineyards being applied for terrorist activities.

"The blood of Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police personnel is extremely sacred, " CM Bugti remarked, adding that the administration would not tolerate security personnel being martyred while private properties were applied for terrorism.

Meanwhile, the chief minister remarked Balochistan was moving towards maximum digitalisation of governance to improve transparency and public services. Eight existing Balochistan Police apps had been upgraded and eight new ones introduced to facilitate access to the criminal justice system and enable citizens to lodge complaints.

In practice, a women's safety application allows users to trigger an emergency alert with a single click, notifying their families and police. Mr Bugti confirmed an awareness campaign targeting female students, working women and travellers.

Digital facilities for families of police martyrs would additionally provide direct contact with them and assist identify their welfare needs. Other services include Khidmat Markaz, hotel and travel facilities, and the IGP Police Complaint Cell.

He remarked CCTV and Safe City cameras had assisted trace suspects in murder cases and contributed to arrests after major terrorist attacks. A Safe City Authority had been established under the relevant legislation and integrated with law-enforcement agencies.

Regarding the tehsildar recruitment process, Mr Bugti remarked an internal error had been detected and a committee formed in coordination with the Public Service Com­mission would submit its report within seven to 10 days.

He reiterated that the administration would not compromise on merit, even at the cost of political losses. Citing recent Balochistan Rev­enue Authority recruitment, he remarked 20 to 25 residents from his constituency had applied, but none of them was selected, demonstrating that the process was merit-based. Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2026.

Taken together, the developments around owners to be liable if terrorists use their land: Bugti point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.