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.
WELL, I WOULD SIMPLY SAY THAT PAKISTAN IS AN UN-NATURAL STATE AND IN SUCH SORT OF STATE THERE IS NO WAY FOR PEOPLE TO SURVIVE THE WAY THEY WANT TO. PAKISTAN WAS GIVEN TO JINNAH AS A BLOOD MONEY. IT IS UN-NATURAL BECAUSE YOU CANNOT FIND A REAL PAKISTANI HERE. PUNJABI, PATHANS, BALOCH, SINDHI OR MUHAJIR THEY ALL CANNOT BE NAMED AS PAKISTANIS AS THEY ARE COMING WITH THEIR OWN CULTURAL HERITAGES. BALOCH, PATHANS, SINDHI OR PUNJABIS ARE COMING WITH MUCH MORE OLDER HISTORY THAN PAKISTAN. PUNJABIS ARE INDIAN, PATHANS ARE AFGHANI, BALOCHS ARE IRANIAN/ARABS AND SINDHIS ARE CENTRAL INMATES SO THERE IS NO PAKISTANI HOWEVER SOME MILITARY GENERALS CLAIM TO BE PAKISTANI JUST BECAUSE THIS WAY THEY CAN CASH THE 80% FEDERAL BUDGET FOR MILITARY PURPOSES IN WHICH THEY CAN GET 50% OUT FOR THEIR OWN NEEDS. BUGTI WAS KILLED, DOCTOR QADEER IS UNDER ARREST AND NOT BEING DEPARTED FOR HIGH CANCER TREATMENT, ZULFIQAR BHUTTO WAS KILLED, NAWAZ SHARIF N BENAZIR BEEN OUSTED AND NUBER OF OTHER LULL THINGS HAPPENED AND IF U SEE THEY ALL BEEN IN MILITARY RULES. PAKISTAN WAS NOT ACTUALLY BEEN CREATED FOR PEOPLE BUT FOR MILITARY RULERS ONLY SO THEY CAN EASILY PRIVATISE THE GOVERNMENT ASSETS ON LESS COST SUCH AS STEEL MILLS. ACTUALLY MILITARY LEADERS THINK OUT OF BRAIN WHICH IN THEIR MILITARY BOOTS AND THEY NEVER CONSULT A POLITICAL EXPERT THAT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THEY KILL A SEASONED POLITICIAN LIKE MR BUGTI. THEY DO WHAT THEY WANT AND THEY DONT CARE WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER ACTION, THEY EVEN DONT BOTHER THAT WHY THE 100 CARS IN QUETTA BEEN BURNT, WHY 20 PEOPLE DIED, WHY ROADS BEEN BLOCKED AND WHY TRANSPORT IS NOT RUNNING, THEY DONT CARE AND THEY SIMPLY DONT UNDERSTAND THAT JUST BECAUSE OF MR BUGTI DEATH MORE THAN 200 MILLION DOLLARS BEEN WASTED COUNTRY-WIDE DUE TO RIOTS, BUT GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN DONT CARE, WHAT THEY CARE IS TO KILL ONE PERSON AND TO SACRIFICE 20 MORE, LOT OF PUBLIC WEALTH AND TO CREATE OTHER CRISES. NOW YOU CAN JUDGE THE MIND OF A MILITARY GOVERNMENT. BUGTI CREATED AN HISTORY AFTER HIS DEATH AND HE BOUGHT AN IMAGE INTERNATIONALLY, I SWEAR FOR COUNTRIES LIKE UK, AMERICA OR EUROPE MR BUGTI WAS NOT A TERRORIST BUT A FAITHFULL HERO FOR HIS NATION, WHO CHOICED TO FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL POWER AT AGE OF 80 IN MOUNTAINS BUT DID NOT ACCEPT TO LEAVE COUNTRY AND TAKE ASSYLUM IN OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS OUR OTHER LEADERS. I WISH MILITARY GOVERNMENT OPOLOGIZE TO PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN AND PARTICULARLY TO BUGTIS SO IT MAY REMOVE ONLY A 5% GRIEVIENCES OF BALOCH PEOPLE.
TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT BUGTI’S KILLING IS NOT A GOOD MOVE
Though each of us have our own view about Akbar Bugti. Most of us agree that Musharraf has done well by getting rid of him though we dont agree with the way he dealt with the issue.
Below is the excerpt from the interview of former Air Marshal Nur Khan, one of very few heroes that we had in our armed forces. He was the only grace in the 1965 war whereas our army was humiliated in the ground offensive. And he has no political alliances or hidden agendas apparently.
http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/30/nat7.htm
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Former Air Force chief Air Marshal Nur Khan has roundly condemned the ruling Muslim League leadership, specially its president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and its secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed, for continuing to serve the Gen Musharraf regime even after the murder of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti at the hands of a contingent of Army.
They claim to have been very good friends of the late Bugti. Shujaat never tires of expressing his indebtedness to the Nawab for saving his father’s life when Z.A.Bhutto, the then prime minister, had reportedly instructed Bugti, then governor of Balochistan to have his father Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi who was then in the provincial jail, killed. And look at Mushahid. He was among the three whom Bugti had named for hearing his case and had promised to accept whatever their verdict. Is this how one pays back trusted friends? asked Nur Khan.
The two seem to be running with the hare and hunting with the hound, he added bitterly.
Nur Khan said, it was the PML which is providing the military junta the all important political life support, without which, Gen Musharraf would not last single day.
“But without Gen Musharraf the PML will not last a single minute and that perhaps is why it feels compelled to go along with the military dictator no matter what the moral and political priceâ€
Hey Mr. Arvind, why are u trying to turn this discussion into an india vs pakistan one. im sure you can find many other blogs better suited for this purpose.
Abhi, I agree with you but I oppose disappropriate use of force. would you think it is fine to send fighterjets to counter slingshots.
Well Dear abhi and Mr. Bhatti. Indira Gandhi paid India paid for for golden temple, and well paid. Is pakistan is ready to pay for same mistake now?