The 26th session of the Hardening of the State Conference was held in Quetta on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Khan Bugti, reviewing the province's overall security situation and ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.

According to an official statement, the meeting took stock of coordination between federal and provincial institutions in the fight against militancy. The forum was briefed on the progress of "Operation Shaban," a joint counter-insurgency operation by the Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan and police, launched after an attack on a police post at the Mangi Dam site in Ziarat district earlier this month. Nine police personnel were killed in the initial assault, while 18 others who had been abducted were later found dead, bringing the toll from that incident to 27. Officials have said more than 100 alleged militants have since been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations, though different government sources have cited varying figures over the course of the operation.

Participants at the session paid tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in the Hanna Urak and Mangi Dam incidents. CM Bugti had earlier visited Babri village in the Hanna Urak area to review the operation and condole with families of the slain personnel.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister described terrorism as a "national issue" requiring a joint response from the political and military leadership with public support. He said operations against "anti-state elements" and their facilitators would continue, and that reform measures were under way to improve governance in the province. He added that the provincial government was also focusing on development projects in remote and underdeveloped areas, saying sustainable peace and development were interlinked.

The session was attended by representatives of the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, Pakistan Coast Guard, police, FIA, Customs and other federal and provincial departments.

Background

The Hardening of the State Conference, also referred to as the State Defence Conference, is a recurring forum, chaired by the chief minister roughly every three weeks, bringing together Balochistan's civil and military leadership to review security and development matters. Its 22nd session was held in April this year, attended by the Corps Commander Balochistan along with provincial ministers and senior officials; the forum's stated purpose is to track implementation of decisions from previous sessions and maintain coordination on security and development issues.

The meeting comes amid a prolonged wave of attacks in Balochistan over the past several weeks. Opposition parties, at a recent All Parties Conference, criticised the state's security-centred approach and called for a "truth and reconciliation commission" alongside political dialogue, arguing that Balochistan's problems cannot be resolved through force alone. The provincial government's position has centred on continuing security operations in parallel with development initiatives.

Note: This report is based primarily on an official press release. The conference's "26th session" numbering could not be independently confirmed from public sources, though the meeting's known cadence, its 22nd session having been held in April, is consistent with that count.