Balochistan forms inquiry committee to probe Ziarat Mangi Dam attack

QUETTA: The Balochistan Home Department has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the terrorist attack on Mangi Dam Pumping Station No. 3 in Ziarat district, directing it to determine the facts surrounding the incident, fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent similar attacks in the future.

According to a notification issued by the Home Department, the terrorist attack occurred on the night of July 6, 2026, resulting in the loss of lives and damage to critical public infrastructure.

The provincial government said it was imperative to establish the circumstances leading to the attack, identify any negligence or operational failures and recommend steps to strengthen the security of critical installations across the province.

The inquiry committee will be headed by Muhammad Ali Kakar, Chairman of the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team (CMIT).

Other members include the Secretary of the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), a senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police to be nominated by the Inspector General of Police, Balochistan, and a representative of the Intelligence Bureau nominated by the Joint Director General of the agency.

Under its terms of reference, the committee has been tasked with establish the complete sequence of events before, during and after the attack, examining the deployment and preparedness of law enforcement agencies, evaluating their response, command and coordination, and determining whether there was any negligence, dereliction of duty, operational lapse or failure of command and control.

The committee will also assess whether the existing security arrangements and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for protecting the installation were adequate and properly implemented. It has been directed to identify individuals or organisations responsible for any lapses and recommend disciplinary, administrative or criminal action where necessary.

In addition, the committee will propose immediate, medium-term and long-term measures to strengthen the security of Mangi Dam and other critical infrastructure across Balochistan, besides recommending policy, institutional and operational reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The notification empowers the committee to summon officials, examine witnesses, inspect the site, obtain official records, seek expert opinion and co-opt technical experts if required. The committee has been directed to submit its report to the provincial government within 15 days.

Meanwhile, Protesters at Ziarat Cross called off their sit-in and reopened the national highway late Tuesday after Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti personally visited the protest site and appealed to them to end the blockade.

The protest was staged by the families of police personnel martyred in the recent Taliban attack on a police checkpoint at Mangi Dam in Ziarat, along with local residents.

The protest had erupted after armed terrorists attacked a police checkpoint in the Mangi Dam area of Ziarat. According to provincial authorities, at least nine police personnel, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred in the assault, while several others were abducted.

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Political and Media Affairs Shahid Rind confirmed that the martyrs included the SHOs of Mangi and Kawas police stations, Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) In-charge Head Constable Saifullah, and several other police officials.