What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to defend its sovereignty, fight terrorism and pursue long-term stability during a visit to Quetta, statements reported on 20 May 2026 said.
Addressing student officers and faculty at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, Munir said propaganda, fake news and externally sponsored terrorism could not derail the country’s progress. He said hostile forces attempting to use proxies against Pakistan would fail because of the resilience of the state and the unity of its people, according to Dawn.
Shehbaz, speaking at the same institution, described Pakistan as a “net regional stabiliser” contributing to peace and stability in the region and beyond. He said the country’s “mature, prudent and just stance” during last year’s conflict with India had been acknowledged internationally, and he reaffirmed the resolve to “defend sovereignty and territorial integrity against any misadventure at all costs”.
The two leaders then attended a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan in Quetta, where they were briefed on the security situation in Balochistan, progress on development projects, governance reforms and counter-terrorism measures, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Mineral security corridor
During the apex committee meeting, the prime minister directed authorities to deploy the Frontier Corps in Balochistan’s Rakhshan division to establish a dedicated security corridor aimed at protecting the province’s mineral resources and related economic activity.
He said the corridor would include additional Frontier Corps wings, highway security checkposts, surveillance grids and border posts to strengthen security infrastructure in the region. Calling Pakistan rich in natural resources, especially minerals, he said a secure environment in Balochistan was essential to maintain the confidence of local and international companies working on mineral-related projects.
Why it matters
Shehbaz said Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, launched in February after cross-border firing by the interim Afghan Taliban government, was continuing with “full resolve” to defend the lives and property of innocent citizens against Afghan-based militant proxies and to target their hideouts and support infrastructure.
He said the Afghan government must take “meaningful and credible actions” against the Islamic State Khorasan Province, the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army, which he said use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan.
What remains uncertain
No timeline, cost or specific unit size for the Rakhshan security corridor was announced. The account of the visit is based on statements issued by the Prime Minister’s Office and the military’s public remarks as carried by Pakistani media, and it could not be independently verified.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Quotations are as carried by the cited outlets. Sources reviewed on 2026-05-20.
- Dawn — "PM, CDF vow to crush terror, defend nation's sovereignty"20 May 2026 · Reports the Quetta visit, the Command and Staff College addresses, the Provincial Apex Committee meeting and the Rakhshan mineral security corridor.
- The Standard — "Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq Ongoing against Terrorist Proxies: Sharif"20 May 2026 · Reports the prime minister's remarks on Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq and the Balochistan apex committee.
