Sindh minister says underage girl radicalized via social media detained before being used in attack
KARACHI:
Sindh officials said on Monday that a major terror attack was averted after police intercepted a minor girl who had been recruited through social media and was being taken to Karachi for a possible attack.
The revelation was made by Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar at an emergency press conference in Karachi along with CTD Additional Inspector General Azad Khan and Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho.
Lanjar said the police detained the girl on December 25 while she was traveling by public transport from Balochistan to Karachi. Officers became suspicious of her behavior and questioned her about her identity, but her answers were unsatisfactory, prompting a female officer to conduct further investigations.
Interrogation revealed that the girl, a student from Balochistan whose identity has been withheld, had been radicalized online by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and was on her way to meet officials linked to the banned militant group.
According to the police, the girl said she was first contacted through her Instagram account, where people started sharing content about the separation of Balochistan and alleged oppression in the province. She was later added to a WhatsApp group that circulated anti-state and anti-military material and glorified Baloch separatist figures, including Shari Baloch.
Read: Terrorist triangle: Taliban, TTP, BLA
Speaking in a video recorded at the press conference, the girl said she slowly came to believe the narratives shared in the WhatsApp group. She said this influenced her way of thinking, turned her against the state and led her to lose interest in her studies, family and friends.
Police said the girl later left her house without informing her family and met a woman affiliated with the banned Baloch Liberation Army. Authorities said the woman further indoctrinated her and was preparing to hand her over to a handler in Karachi, who would have used her in a terrorist act or suicide attack.
Authorities said the girl’s timely identification and interrogation prevented a potential catastrophe.
CTD AIG Azad Khan urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity, warning that militant groups were deliberately targeting minors due to their vulnerability and lack of maturity.
Police said no legal action would be taken against the girl and she remains in protective custody. Your identity will not be revealed.
Interior Minister Lanjar said the girl was not being treated as an accused.
“Due to her young age, she was deceived,” he said. “He is being given the opportunity to reform.”
Authorities said the case highlights how militant groups are increasingly using social media platforms to recruit and radicalize underage children, posing serious security risks.
