An arrested ethnic Baloch woman, who was allegedly planning a suicide attack, revealed on Wednesday that she was brainwashed by the local militants fighting against the Pakistan security forces.

In a major success against militancy, Adila Baloch, a qualified nurse running a project with the World Health Organisation, was arrested by the security forces in Turbat, Balochistan, before carrying out the attack.

Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, the provincial capital, she described how she was lured into joining terrorist groups under false promises. "They showed me false hopes of a new and happy life," she explained, adding that once she joined the militants hiding in the mountains, she felt that life was full of hardship.

She also claimed that terrorists blackmail and manipulate Baloch women into committing such acts. "Other Baloch youth, both men and women, had been similarly brainwashed," she said.

She said she wasn’t the only one misled. Baloch said she was deceived by extremist elements. "My job was to help people and save lives. Unfortunately, I was misled by those who strayed me from the right path," she said.

PTI