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.
An intresting article in Ummat.I am not an Ummat reader,infact i dislike but article is an intresting read.
Adil
Yes, the very same!! felt about writing it in here because we cannot trust politicians to have absolute power. Killing political opponents doesn’t bode well for the people.
Jyoti
What you are referring to is the very famous poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller written in the context of the atrocities in the Weimar Republic… it goes like this:
Whatever it may or may not mean in this instance, I have always felt that we should all remember these words and apply them to whatever our context is, and whatever the context of the injustices we see around us… these words are probably as pertinent today given the shape of world events as they ever were….
i had read a poem long back, maybe after emergency was lifted in india. it was a translated piece in Hindi, written by some forign author, don’t know who. i have very faint memory of the whole poem but i remember the last line which is very apt for the current situation in pakistan. The poet laments that when authorities came to illegally arrest people from different sections of society, he keeps quite as he doesn’t belong to that particular section. So, in the end when he is taken away by the authorities no one speaks for him beacuse he didn’t stood by anyone earlier.
if someone is killed in the manner bugati was killed, what’s the guarantee that others will not be killed in the same manner? Maybe a political tyrant today, maybe a staunch supporter of democracy tomorrow?
We continue to ask if bugti was good or bad. Why do we have this problem. Who is anyone to ask this. Point is that an almost paralysed person 80 years old has been made to run in mountains from here to there just because of mush’s abnormal behaviour and finally killed by army commandos. Is a person who is president by force must be respected be he is a killer. Why every where there is problem since this mans rule. Bugti’s killing is shameful. Mush also has an old mother but he did not care.