Pakistani authorities present nurse Adeela Baloch, arrested for a suicide attack attempt, amid ongoing regional violence.
QUETTA, Pakistan — To strengthen its story, the Pakistani government showed a nurse who was accused of trying to blow herself up on TV on Wednesday.
The show, which was on different TV channels both nationwide and locally, had the nurse talking about how she was tricked into joining terrorists while working in Balochistan province, a place known for its long-running fight against the government.
Balochistan has been a hot spot for fighting for years, with many groups, especially those fighting for their own country, going head-to-head with the government.
The Pakistani government has been fighting back hard against these groups, leading to a lot of people getting hurt, including both civilians and the police.
In the TV interview in Quetta, Adeela Baloch, the nurse in question, said she used to work at a government hospital in Turbat before being “led astray” by terrorists and planning a suicide attack.
She said she was arrested just before she could carry out the attack.
Adeela Baloch, arrested from a banned BLA camp, revealed during a press conference with her parents that she was deceived by anti-state elements into becoming a suicide bomber. "I was lured with promises of a new life," Adeela said!#عدلیہ_بچاؤ_ملک_بچاؤ #PMShehbazAtUNGA pic.twitter.com/WjOCnVbGam
— Syed Jlaluddin Jlal (@syed_jlaludin) September 25, 2024
But, it’s hard to know if what she’s saying is true, since it’s not clear if she was telling the truth freely or if she was forced to say it.
Baloch didn’t say which terrorist group she worked for or who she was planning to attack.
The Associated Press couldn’t check if she was who she said she was or if her story was true.
The government hasn’t said much about it, just saying she won’t be charged because the attack didn’t happen.
This whole thing happened right after there was a lot of violence in the area, including a big bombing that was blamed on the banned Balochistan Liberation Army.
They said a woman from their group was part of the attack that killed more than 50 people in the area last month.
Also, on Wednesday, a bomb on the road hit police in Quetta, injuring 12 more people, showing how unstable things are and how important it is for the government to do a better job of keeping things under control.