Hundreds of militants surrender in Balochistan

Islamabad: Over 200 militants on Monday surrendered to the provincial government in Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province plagued for long by a low-scale insurgency, according to the state-run radio.

They laid down arms at a ceremony in Quetta, capital of the province, in the presence of Balochstan Chief Minister Nawab Sanullah Khan Zehri. it said.

The militants, known as Ferraris, announced to accept the writ of law and join the national mainstream, the national broadcaster said.

During the current year authorities in Balaochistan have reported a series of such surrenders, with Monday’s lot being one of the large groups to renounce violence and pledge to live peacefully.

The mineral-rich province suffers from an insurgency involving militant groups from the ethnic Baloch community.

The federal and provincial governments have been pursuing efforts to persuade militants to give up arms and offered help to those who do in order to rehabilitate them.