Adil Najam
Government sources in Pakistan have just announced that Nawab Akbar Bugti, chief of the Bugti tribe, veteran politician, and senior Baluchistan leader, has been killed in a shootout between “tribal militants and government forces” in Balochistan.
This is very sad and disturbing news that cannot bode well for anyone. While details are still coming in, BBC reports:
The battle near his mountain hideout in south-west Pakistan also caused heavy casualties on both sides, reports say. More than 20 soldiers and at least 30 rebels died, officials say. The octogenarian has been at the head of a tribal campaign to win political autonomy and a greater share of revenue from Balochistan’s gas reserves. “It is confirmed, Nawab Bugti has been killed in an operation,” Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani told Reuters news agency. The battle reportedly took place near the town of Dera Bugti, not far from Mr Bugti’s hideout.
According to a newsflash posted on The News website:
Jamhori Watan Party (JWP) chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was killed in a historical operation carried out by security forces in Kohlu and Murree tribal areas on Saturday night, Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani confirmed… Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) leader Makhdoom Amin Faheem termed Akbar Bugti’s death an incident which could worsen security situation in Pakistan.
The death, and the manner of death, of the veteran Baluch leader will indeed worsen the security situation in Baluchistan and exacerbate the feeling of marginalization amongst Baluchis. Nawab Bugti had, at various points in his life, ‘butted heads’ with just about all major leaders in Pakistan. His recent standoff with the Musharraf government was not the highpoint of his own political career but it may well be the lowest point of the Musharraf rule. However, more than the implications on immediate politics – which will become more clear and more pronounced over the next many days – this marks a tragic end to the life of an important political leader.
Born on July 12, 1927, Nawab Bugto was a ‘ tribal’ who was educated at Oxford, England, Aitchison College, Lahore and Karachi Grammar School and has served as Governor and Chief Minister of Baluchistan. Mr. Bugti’s legacy was clearly a mixed one and will be much debated and much dissected. He was, however, a major leader and this was indeed a sad and tragic way to go.
Anjum
Appreciate your comments; especially coming from someone who seem familiar with Baluch politics.
I agree that control of minerals and natural resources should go to the provinces. The control or royalty money should however, go to the provincial government and not the sardars or nawabs. All the news suggest that for decades gas royalty money was going to the sardars; and in the amounts of crores of rupees a year, and what did these feudals do with that money? Is there any accountabuility? We should ask whether they established any colleges, universities, hospitals in their area from that money? Federal Govt was essentially sidelined in these areas except for taking the blame for the poverty of people.
I agree that there is a sense of deprivation in Baluchistan but that sense is all over Pakistan and not just limited to Baluchistan.
In the end I want to reitirate the wish that Bugti should’ve been tried in courts and then punished, if found guilty.
@jyoti
“in fact, even though i have been following this blog closely about this whole issue, i’m unable to make my mind about whethere Mr. bugti was a good guy or a bad one”
With all due respect, it is not your place to “make up your mind” about whether Bugti was “good” or not; this is reality and not Bollywood where there is always a clear villian and a clear hero. Whatever he did, that still does not justify the way the government tried to liquidate him.
Ahmed Rashid is a reasonable man and a disinterested journalist, so I don’t think he would call Bugti HIS martyr. But HIS is the key word here, whatever his position was amongst the Baluch tribes, the government has turned him into a martyr for his own people, an action which I fear will cause more divisiveness within our otherwise great country.
Also, I think we need to be cautious and resist generalizing groups of people as “the baloch.” They, like any other ethnic group, do not all think the same. In fact, most Baloch people I know do not like Bugti and they keep reminding me that Bugti, etc are popular within their own tribes and the majority just watches the “tamasha” our politicians create.
However, I think ALL educated people would agree that whatever his popularity may be, his execution was against fundamentally not right.
I was just reading the comments on the cricket controversy post and Mr. Adnan had posted this verse there:
dushman marray tey khushi na karee-aye,
sajnaaN we marr jaana aye
Maybe we should also apply it here.
There is no greatness in killing an old man, who would have passed away on his own in a few years time. Its simply barbaric.
What is the problemn with Nawabs.If somebody lives in city and has come from outside to live in this country,it does not mean that he should start criticing sardars,nawabs,chaudri,wadera, maliks etc. Remember this is something that is present in each province in one form or anotehr and can never be finished by killing indiscriminately. Why should we attack baloch culture which is different from karachi or other cities. Is this necessary that people should continue to attack their culture. Solution is to give them back what is theirs, and promote education. People are so poor in balochistan. In cities like khuzdar, sibi, kharan, pasni there is no sardari system, how many people are educated. How many industries do we have in those cities. We must accept evryone in balochistan has extreme negative sentiment against pakistan because of deprivation. Even punjabis living in quetta say the same. When they have mineral wealth, why not give them its control. Did Nawaz sharif not take control of salt range by giving it on lease to punjab for 99 years, did he not block wheat going to other provinces whenever he wanted?