Freedom is not free , it grows from the guns of free men . Baloch brothers and sisters , it's time to close ranks and fight Punjabi pakistani oppression and secure our freedom for our future generations . Together We Stand & Fight - Together We Win . Bugti warns of armed uprising
Victims can pardon rapists, says Bugti
DERA BUGTI/KARACHI: Nawab Akbar Bugti, the chief of the Bugti tribe and former Balochistan chief minister, has said the Baloch will pardon Captain Hammad, the man accused of raping a female doctor, only if the victim forgives him, Online reported.
Talking to a private TV, he said in line with Baloch and Sindhi traditions, the rapists would have to go to the victim to seek her mercy, and if she forgave them, they would have no objection to her decision.
Staff report adds: At a telephone press conference on Tuesday, Bugti warned that there could be armed resistance if the government decided on military action in the area. “The situation in Balochistan is alarming and there could be an armed resistance if a military option is opted, which I can see coming soon,” he said.
VIEW: The real challenge in Balochistan —Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur
Sardar Ataullah Mengal was wrong in saying that only Akbar Bugti could speak for Sui. Every Baloch has a right in this respect equal to Akbar Bugti. Abandoning this principle will amount to replacing one set of autocrats with another
The recent events in Sui are a manifestation of what afflicts the country’s ruling classes. They are also an _expression of a people’s outrage at the rulers’ arrogance and their utter disregard of their rights. The people were outraged not only at the rape of a female doctor who had agreed to serve in the wilderness but also at the continued rape of their rights and resources since the very inception of Pakistan. They indicate what the future is going to be like if the rulers persist in their belief that overwhelming firepower is the panacea for all their problems.
The BLA is certainly not a figment of some fertile imagination. This is apparent from the scale of its activity. Since 2003, 1,529 rockets have been fired and 113 bombs exploded in Balochistan. Despite Baloch leaders’ reluctance to directly answer questions about its existence and the government’s attempt to minimise its significance, it cannot be wished away. Theories about its sponsors abound. The oddest one suggests that it is being helped by the USA which is not happy with China’s role in Balochistan. Fingers have also been pointed at Iran. But does not Iran oppress its own Baloch population? One thing is certain: there are people out there determined enough and having adequate resources to sustain the attacks. The BLA’s activities may not be an adequate _expression of the deep and pervasive popular resentment but they are an _expression nonetheless.
For a peep into the mindset that caused past problems look at the following statement of one Lt Col Mazhar Masood reported by Dawn on January 27 (under the headline ‘Cantonment to be built in Sui: Army’). Said Col Masood: “We have come here and taken over 400 acres of land allotted to the Pakistan Army. We will soon build a cantonment (garrison) here which is the need of the area.” For icing on the cake he added: “You can see only sand dunes here, but within a very short time a cantonment will be built and the sand dunes will be turned into green land.”
No one doubts your ability, Col Masood, to turn the sand dunes of Sui into green land. In fact, this ability of the ruling classes is the real cause of concern for the people of Balochistan. The cantonments and the areas where mega development projects are built become islands of green in the otherwise barren landscape of the province. Your statements maybe reassuring to the investors but they frighten the common man.
Unfortunately, the indifference of the Establishment is not limited to Balochistan. It treats Sindh and the NWFP with equal contempt. On this count all governments have been even-handed. The present government, too, is interested mostly in the greening of the Punjab, the mega-projects, the cantonments and the Defence Housing Societies to the utter disregard of the wishes of those affected by process.
During a recent visit to Lahore I was surprised to see huge billboards inviting people there to Gwadar — the new El Dorado, asking them to “invest in the land of promise and opportunities”. This is what causes concern in the minds of the people of Balochistan and creates resentment and anger at the injustices that found a partial _expression in Sui.
Promising people jobs as peons and watchmen never was and never will be the solution to the problem. At issue is their right to the resources. Until and unless there is progress on this sticking point, there can be no peace in the province. Let me attempt an analogy at the risk of being widely condemned. Had the people of Arab Emirates agreed to be content with menial jobs and not asserted their rights to the resources, would there ever have been the prosperity and the social development we now see there? The unmistakable lesson is that there can be no social and economic progress — that the government claims to favour — until and unless the people are made the masters of their destiny. Without this, no projects, including Gwadar, can change people’s lives.
Also, the attempts to improve security by relocating people from Sui, or other envisaged cantonments sites, will never be of any value as ‘soft targets’ abound. The solution lies in respecting people’s rights in Sui and elsewhere in Balochistan rather than in trying to create buffer zones to protect installations.
There have been talks between some Baloch leaders and representatives of the government. A parliamentary committee, too, has been formed to help find a solution. But not much headway seems to have been made. The two sides hold diametrically opposite points of view. This is a gulf that cannot be bridged until and unless there is a radical departure from the basic premise by one of the sides. To me, it appears to be impossible.
Some among the Sardars may decide to compromise but this will only postpone the confrontation. The people of Balochistan will not abdicate their rights even if some of their leaders do an about turn. After all no single leader has the exclusive right to speak for the people in his area of influence. Sardar Ataullah Mengal was thus wrong in saying that only Akbar Bugti could speak for Sui. Every Baloch has a right in this respect equal to Akbar Bugti. Abandoning this principle will amount to replacing one set of autocrats with another.
For a meaningful understanding the wishes of the majority of the Baloch people have to be respected. The government should learn a lesson from the American experience. The USA thought Iraq would be a piece of cake but it has become a quagmire and can eventually cause its downfall. Just as the Iraq war can prove the first of the great social and political tsunamis of the century that will change the world order the confrontation in Balochistan can herald changes in this country as well as the entire region.
Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur has an association with the Baloch rights movement going back to early 1970s
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_23-2-2005_pg3_6
Sattar Masti Khan passes away
KARACHI: Waja Abdul Sattar Masti Khan, one of the pioneers of the Pakistan Movement, passed away at the Civil Hospital here on Tuesday. He was 79. He had been suffering from cancer for the past some years. He was buried at Mewa Shah Graveyard. The deceased left a son and three daughters. Veteran politician Yousuf Haroon, former governor of Balochistan Abdul Qadir Baloch, secretary-general of the National Party Mir Hasil Bezinjo, MNA Nabil Gabol, former Balochistan minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, and senior politician Hussain Haroon attended the funeral. The soyem will be held at Yousuf Masti Khan’s residence on Thursday in PECH Society. Abdul Sattar Masti Khan had been playing a positive role in the Baloch nationalist politics since the inception of the country. staff report
Government policies may create anarchy
DERA MURAD JAMALI: The unjust policies of the present government may create anarchy in the country, said Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal, Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief. Talking to a private TV channel on Tuesday, Mengal said the federal government was developing other provinces at the expense of Balochistan. He said the government’s plan to impound Balochistan’s resources by installing cantonments in the province would not be fulfilled. “It is wishful thinking on the part of the government that they will confiscate Baloch resources while starting a military operation in the province”, he said. He noted that the problems facing Balochistan could be addressed if the provincial government was given autonomy. Online
Akbar Bugti threatens armed resistance
KARACHI: Jamhoori Wattan Party chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti threatened armed resistance on Tuesday if the government uses force to tame tribesmen amid an "alarming" situation in Balochistan.
"The situation in Balochistan is alarming and there could be an armed resistance if a military option is opted, which I can see coming soon," Bugti told a telephonic press conference from Dera Bugti.
"Balochi people may die in large number but there can be casualties on the other side as well," he told reporters at the Karachi Press Club. Regular and paramilitary forces have moved into the area and Bugti said the large Army presence around Sui indicated "an Army operation is possible".
Bugti said Dr Shazia rape case had "ruined" considerable efforts made for settling Balochistan issue and now, unless culprits behind this heinous act were punished, the matter could not be resolved.
"Considerable progress was made for settling Balochistan issue prior to misfortune with Dr Shazia Khalid. But now, it has become a matter of honour for the Baloch people and unless culprits involved in the criminal act are punished, the Baloch people will not be satisfied," he said. Bugti said sincere efforts were required to resolve issues facing Balochistan and on top of that was justice to Dr Shazia Khalid, who was subjected to inhuman act and disgraced.
Denying charges levelled against him regarding receiving Rs 120 million annually from the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), he demanded formation of a fact-finding committee, comprising journalists Ayaz Amir, Irshad Ahmed Haqqani and Mushahid Hussain, to probe into the allegations. "If the said committee finds me responsible for taking money from the PPL or the government, I’m ready to face any punishment recommended by it or anybody else," he added.
Commenting on use of foreign arms and money for unrest in Balochistan, Bugti said the United States and other countries were giving arms and funds to the government. "Everybody knows that only rulers receive arms and foreign funds for suppressing their own people," he said. He said the Baloch nationalist leaders at a recent meeting with US ambassador to Pakistan informed him that weapons provided by the US in Afghanistan were being used in Balochistan.
Responding to a question, Bugti said that without removing impediments, such as justice to Dr Shazia Khalid, meeting with ruling PML President Chaudhry Shujaat and party’s Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain Sayed would be meaningless. "I have no reluctance in meeting with these two (leaders) but without assurance of solution to Balochistan issue, it would be meaningless," he said. -Agencies
Muhammad Ejaz Khan adds from Quetta: Balochistan police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested three alleged terrorists and recovered three rockets from their possession in a raid conducted in Marri camp in the provincial capital.
"The police were tipped off about the presence of the three terrorists in Marri," DIG Police Rafi Pervez Bhatti said, adding that a special police team was constituted to arrest the terrorists. The police team raided the house of one Abdul Rehman and recovered three rockets, he said.
Bhatti said the accused Abdul Rehman was wanted to police in various cases of terrorism. The police party also arrested another two "terrorists" whose identification is yet to be established, he added.
According to Bhatti the accused were involved in rockets firing, bomb explosions and other terrorist acts in Quetta and other parts of the province. "Further investigations are in progress," he added.
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/
Centre may cede 36 subjects to provinces
By Shakil Shaikh
ISLAMABAD: The concurrent legislative list, the most important constitutional framework of areas concurrently falling under the jurisdiction of the Centre and provinces, would be reduced from 47 to merely 11 articles, ensureing greater provincial autonomy.
"We have identified only 11 articles to remain on the concurrent legislative list and the remaining 36 articles or their subject matters would be assigned to the provinces for greater provincial autonomy in the federation," said a member of the parliamentary committee, which was assigned the task to prepare recommendations for provincial autonomy. The committee on provincial autonomy is headed by Leader of the House in Senate, Barrister Wasim Sajjad and included many stalwarts.
The parliamentary committee, said the member, has recommended that following 11 articles, out of total 47, should remain on the concurrent list thus the Centre handles these affairs: Article 1 of the Concurrent Legislative List (criminal law, including all matters included in the PPC on the commencing day, but excluding offences against laws with respect to any of the matters specified in the federal legislative list and excluding the use of naval, military and air forces in aid of civil power);
Article 2 (criminal procedure, including all matters included in the code of criminal procedure, on the commending day); Article 3 (civil procedure including the law of limitation and all matters included in the code of civil procedure on the commending day; the recovery in a province or the federal capital of claims in respect of taxes and other public demands, including arrears of land revenue and sums recoverable as such, arising, outside that province);
Article 7 (bankruptcy and insolvency, administrators-general and official trustees); Article 9 (contracts, including partnership, agency, contracts or carriage, and other special forms of contracts, but not including contracts relating to agricultural land); Article 26 (welfare of labour; conditions of labour, provident funds; employees’ liability and workmen’s compensation, health insurance including invalidity pensions, old age pensions);
Article 32 (shipping and navigation on inland waterways as regards mechanically propelled vessels and the rule of the road on such waterways; carriage of passengers and goods on inland waterways); Article 34 (electricity); Article 36 (newspapers, books and printing presses); Article 38 (curriculum, syllabus, planning, policy, centres of excellence and standards of education); and Article 39 (Islamic education);
Remaining subjects, said the member, are recommended to be put under the authority of the respective provinces as they exclusively deal with it, thus, enhancing provincial autonomy and working without much interference from the Centre. The committee, it is said, has also been working to introduce changes in the federal legislative list, which contained 59 articles. The committee is also likely to recommend for discussing and approving money bill by the Senate as in the case of the National Assembly. "It would make the Upper House more potent and vibrant with input from the provincial representatives in their capacity as Senators," said the committee member. However, if the President finally agrees to these proposals and recommendations, the government would introduce a constitutional amendment bill.
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/
Statement of witness recorded in Dr Shazia case
By our correspondent
QUETTA: The Tribunal, headed by judge of Balochistan High Court (BHC) Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari, recorded the statement of another witness on Tuesday in connection with Dr Shazia case. ASI Special Branch Sui Police Muhammad Khurshid appeared before the tribunal and recorded his statement. The Tribunal has issued notices to two employees of PPL Sui, Pir Bukhsh and Noor Ahmed, to record their statement on February 28. So far, 14 witnesses have recorded their statements.
CJ BHC takes oath as acting governor
By our correspondent
QUETTA: Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court (BHC), Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, was sworn in as the acting governor of Balochistan here on Tuesday. Senior BHC judge Justice Amanullah Khan administered the oath at a ceremony at the Governor’s House. Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed would serve as the acting governor of the province because Governor Owais Ghani has proceeded for Iran along with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on a three-day official visit. Later, the acting governor administered oath of the acting chief justice BHC to Justice Amanullah Khan. The judges of the BHC, provincial ministers and senior officials attended the oath taking ceremony.
Four die in Kalat accident
By our correspondent
QUETTA: Four passengers were killed and 13 others sustained injuries in a road accident in Kalat district, some 150-km off here, on Tuesday. A passenger coach was heading to Karachi from Quetta when it reached in Mal Shawri area of Kalat it rammed into a pick-up parked along the road and overturned, killing four passengers instantly and injuring 13 others. The dead were identified as Adeel, Afzal, Jahan Maseih and Baba Kala.
http://jang.com.pk/thenews/
Govt discussing political future with PPP: Rashid - Governor's rule in Sindh & Balochistan ruled out
By Amir Wasim
ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has again claimed that the government is in contact with the People's Party Parliamentarians and the two sides are discussing the 'political future' of the country.
Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, the minister refused to elaborate the nature of the contact, saying it could damage the process. He said that although the government was busy in reconciliation with the PPP, there was no place for the party in the present set-up. "The PPP has no role in the present set-up and talks are being held only on future politics in an effort to bring stability to the country," he said.
Replying to a question, he categorically ruled out the possibility of general elections in the country this year, a major demand of the PPP. However, the minister hinted that the issue of fresh elections was being discussed between the two sides. "Yes, the PPP wants elections in 2005 and the government is insisting on 2007."
NO GOVERNOR's RULE: Earlier, speaking at a religious conference in Rawalpindi, Sheikh Rashid said political stability and reconciliation in the country was essential in the prevailing regional and international scenario and the government was in contact with the PPP to achieve this objective.
He said there was no possibility of governor's rule either in Sindh or in Balochistan. The minister refuted reports that there were serious differences in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, and claimed that the PML was united under the leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
He called upon all schools of thought to play their role for achieving religious harmony and brotherhood in the country. The minister asked the participants of the conference to present Islam as a religion of responsibility, civility and patience.
http://www.dawn.com/2005/02/23/
MMA criticizes plan for new cantonments
By Our Staff Correspondent
QUETTA, Feb 22: MMA leader Syed Munawar Hasan has alleged that the government wanted to establish military cantonments in Balochistan to provide bases to the United States.
Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the MMA was against new cantonments in Balochistan, adding that the government was executing the US agenda. He said there was no justification for setting up cantonments in Sui, Kohlu and Gwadar because the area had no border with any other country.
"The US would use these cantonments when it would launch an attack on Iran," he said. He also alleged that the government conducted a military operation in South Waziristan at the behest of the US in which Pakistani troops killed their own people. The operation had created a gulf between army and people of the area which could not be easily bridged.
Referring to the issue of Balochistan, the MMA leader said that the government had failed to meet the needs of the people of the province although it had a very small population.
He said that the mega projects of President Gen Pervez Musharraf in the province would be of no benefit to the local people. He said that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had set up two committees on Balochistan, but reports of the committees were yet to be made public.
Referring to the MMA's proposed million-men march and anti-government movement, he said the alliance aimed to send the army back to barracks and end its role in national politics. "If the march does not succeed in sending the army back to barracks, the MMA and other opposition parties would stage a sit-in in Islamabad," he said.
ACCIDENT: Four Wapda employees were killed and 17 other people were injured when a Gwadar-bound pick-up collided with a speeding coach in the Kalat area on Thursday.
According to levies sources, the pick-up, which was carrying a Wapda team, was on its way to Gwadar from Sibi when it was hit by the coach, near Malshawri, some 40 kms from Kalat. Four Wapda employees were killed on the spot while three passengers of the coach and 14 other people were injured. The coach driver ran away after the accident.
OATH: The chief justice of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, took over as acting governor of the province on Tuesday. Senior Judge of the Balochistan High Court Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai administered the oath office to the acting governor at a ceremony at the Governor House.
Justice Ahmed will be acting governor in the absence of Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, who is accompanying Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on a visit to Iran. The judges of the Balochistan High Court, provincial ministers and senior officials of the provincial government attended the oath-taking ceremony.
MQM accused of dividing people on ethnic lines
By Bureau Report
HYDERABAD, Feb 22: Leaders of a number of political, nationalist, religious and social organizations have termed the proposed division of the district a move to divide people by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and stressed the need for coexistence.
They warned that any move to bifurcate the district to please one ethnic group would be strongly resisted. They were speaking at a seminar on "division of Hyderabad on ethnic basis" organized by the Sindh National Party at the press club on Tuesday.
SNP chairman Ameer Bhambhro said that those who were trying to divide the district were not friends of Sindh. He said the SNP party was not against the Urdu-speaking people but against some elements who were trying to divide Sindh.
He said the MQM was only paying a lip service to the cause of Sindh and added that they had never come out on the roads against the Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal. He accused the ethnic group of hatching a conspiracy to divide Sindh on the lingual basis.
Mr Bhambhro said that if any attempt was made to divide the district, the move would be resisted and the ethnic group would be held responsible for post-division consequences.
He announced that all roads of the district would be closed by political and nationalist parties in protest against the bifurcation of the district. PPP leader Maula Bux Chandio said the people living in Sindh were Sindhis but the rulers were trying to create ethnic riots to prolong their rule.
He said the MQM loudly proclaimed that they were Sindhis but they had not made any announcement that they would leave the government if the Kalabagh dam was constructed.
He said the bifurcation of Hyderabad district would be resisted and warned that the people of Sindh would not allow division of districts and handing them over to "terrorists" and Jagirdars.
MPA Zahid Bhurgari and MPA Farheen Mughal said the MQM was trying to divide the district by black-mailing Arbab Ghulam Rahim. The elected representatives said that Sindh was not any one's fief that it should be divided into pieces and handed over to "terrorists".
They said that they would raise their voice on the issue in the Sindh Assembly on Feb 25. Jamaat-i-Islami leader Maulana Abdul Waheed Qureshi said that the bifurcation of Hyderabad district would not be accepted on ethnic basis.
Stand off continues in Sui, says Bugti
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Feb 22: Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Mohammad Akbar Khan Bugti said on Tuesday that there was no improvement in the Sui situation as the stand off continued.
Expressing concern over what he called large scale deployment of troops in the area, Nawab Bugti said it appeared that the government was planning an army operation and in that case Baloch people would have no option but to resist with full force.
The JWP chief, who heads the Bugti tribe, said he was fully aware of the 'heavy price' the Baloch would have to pay in such a conflict because they would suffer more than the troops who were better equipped.
In his first telephonic address to journalists gathered at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday afternoon, he described the situation as tense and uncertain and said that more than a division of troops including paramilitary personnel had been deployed in Sui. Moreover, he added, helicopters and surveillance planes were seen hovering regularly which indicated that the government was not sincere in pursuing political dialogue.
When his attention was drawn to mediation efforts of PML leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Mushahid Hussain Syed, the JWP chief said he valued their efforts and would never doubt their intentions. However, he warned that there were 'other forces' who were creating hindrances.
The veteran Baloch leader pointed out that the mediation efforts initiated by the PML leaders in August last year were stalled because of the tragic Sui incident. He said that the Baloch people were justified in their reaction to the shameful assault on a lady doctor because such acts were not permissible in the Baloch society.
Regretting the attitude of the government, the Nawab said that the 'highly influential' principal accused in the case had not been arrested and efforts were being made to hush up the case.
In reply to a question, he said he was not against the mediation efforts and he had suggested the names of three intellectuals whose integrity could no one doubt, Mushahid Hussain, Irshad Ahmed Haqqani and Ayaz Mir. Nawab Bugti held the government responsible for the current impasse and said it had created a deadlock by not arresting the rape case culprits.
He ridiculed assertions that arms were being smuggled into Balochistan, claiming that the arms and ammunition being used in Pakistan were from the lot which had once been supplied to Afghan militants by the US in their fight against former Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
The JWP leader denied a charge levelled against him by an intelligence officer and reiterating his readiness to face it if any evidence was produced against him.
He said the PPL did not have any welfare budget and there was no question of its disbursement. He accused the government of pursuing the policy of defaming its opponents with continuous dis information and negative propaganda.
About the Karachi meeting of Baloch leaders with the US ambassador, Nawab Bugti said Sardar Ataullah Mengal had told the ambassador that the arms used in Balochistan were the same which the US had supplied to Pakistan for Afghan militants.
Answering a question about the MMA's movement, Nawab Bugti said the leaders of the alliance should themselves be clear about the movement, because there was talk of long marches and also reports of secret dealings.
He said: "We are carefully watching the situation and will take a decision whenever we are assured that the MMA leadership is serious about launching a movement against the government."
When asked what would be his reaction if President Gen Pervez Musharraf decided to come to Dera Bugti to hold direct talks with him, the JWP chief said he was not against holding meaningful dialogue. But dialogue needs a congenial atmosphere and removal of all irritants. JWP leaders Shahid Bugti, Abdul Rauf Sasuli and Saleem Baloch also attended the press conference.
http://www.dawn.com/2005/02/23/nat11.htm
'Balochistani'
Well done, Zobaida Jalal, federal minister for social welfare and special education, for claiming to speak as a "Balochistani" and not a 'Baloch' at her press conference, as reported in PTV news at 9pm on Jan 27.
A native of Sindh is Sindhi and of Punjab, a Punjabi. In the German language, one's origin is derived by adding "er" to the name of the place of origin. The most famous proclamation is that of the late US president Kennedy at the now-demolished Berlin Wall: "Ich bin ein Berliner".
For the remaining two provinces of Pakistan such an easy rule is not available. The principal of a well-known school in Quetta wanted to tell his audience in a children's TV programme that he was the first local to be principal of that school. He was a Pathan. He got over the difficulty by calling himself "Balochistani" and consequently becoming, to my knowledge, the first Balochistani.
The province of Balochistan was not created through a political process. Hence the lack of political understanding by its people and leaders. It was born as a result of a military decree, breaking up One Unit. It was then known as Baluchistan which Akbar Bugti changed to Balochistan. Its natives, however, remained without a clear identity.
Also, there is a longstanding demand for the change of the name of the NWFP. The most suitable names for the two provinces would be Bolan and Abasian, based on natural physical features.
H.A. HAJI
Karachi
http://www.dawn.com/2005/02/23/letted.htm#4
Bugti warns of armed uprising
QUETTA (AFP) - Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Nawab Akbar Bugti on Tuesday threatened armed resistance if the government uses force to tame rebel tribesmen amid an ‘alarming’ situation in Balochistan.
Tribesmen have been fighting for years for a bigger cut of the natural resources from barren Balochistan but unrest flared last month after the gangrape of a woman doctor at a state-owned gas plant in the province.
“The situation in Balochistan is alarming and there could be an armed resistance if a military option is opted, which I can see coming soon,” Akbar Bugti told a telephone Press conference from an unknown location.
“Balochi people may die in large number but there can be casualties on the other side as well,” he told reporters at Karachi Press club.
His warning came as suspected tribesmen blew up an electricity pylon near Sibi, 110 kilometres southeast of the provincial capital Quetta on Monday, officials said. The powerline was not broken.
Four rockets also landed near a paramilitary camp in Kohlu district 230 kilometres east of Quetta on Monday but there were no casualties or damage, according to police.
Meanwhile, paramilitary troops seized four rockets, four bombs, detonators, fuses and 27 kilograms of explosives southwest of Quetta Monday night, an official of the Frontier Corps said.
No one claimed responsibility for the latest attacks.
A shadowy group linked to the tribesmen called the Balochistan Liberation Army has previously said it carried out a string of offensives.
Among them was a rocket attack in January on Pakistan’s largest gas plant at Sui in Balochistan, where the doctor worked, which left eight people dead and disrupted supplies to millions of consumers.
Authorities said the Bugti tribe, headed by Nawab Bugti, was also involved in the attack.
Regular and paramilitary forces have moved into the area and Bugti said the large army presence around Sui indicated ‘an army operation is possible’.
However, the government has repeatedly said it has no such plans and was trying to resolve the problem in Balochistan through political dialogue.
Bugti reiterated his demand for the arrest of an army officer allegedly involved in the rape of the doctor.
“The army is trying to protect their man, because he is related to an army general, but he is a key suspect and should be arrested,” he said.
At least three people have already been arrested in connection with the rape, according to officials.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/feb-2005/23/index12.php
posted by Baloch Freedom Movement @ 7:04 AM
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