Balochistan

Separatists attack main gas pipelines again

This is the second such attack in one week; protests erupt across the province.

Shahzad Baloch February 11, 2011

QUETTA:

The main pipelines supplying gas to Quetta and eight other districts of Balochistan were blown up for the second time this week late on Wednesday night.

The pipelines are located in Nasirabad and Dera Bugti and were blown up three days ago as well, leaving thousands of residential and industrial consumers without gas supply.

After the incident, law enforcement personnel reached the site and cordoned off the area. The fire was brought under control after 17 hours, an official said.

The Sui Southern Gas Company, which owns the pipelines, has not given any specific timeframe for restoration of gas supply to Quetta and other districts. Officials say it could take up to two days.

A senior police officer said that no police was deputed in the area where gas pipelines were attacked by militants. “Merely two or three Levies personnel are usually deployed there,” he said.

In Dera Bugti district, unidentified men planted explosive material two pipelines and detonated them. Supply from several gas-wells was disrupted.

Banned militant outfit Baloch Republican Army (BRA) claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Suspension of gas has severely affected life for the people, as temperatures have plummeted to minus five to minus eight degrees Celsius with light rain in parts of Balochistan.

Meanwhile, Quetta and 14 other districts in Balochistan are facing a power crisis as electricity supply remained disrupted for the fifth consecutive day. Power was suspended after four pylons of main transmission lines were attacked in the Aab-e-Gum area.

“It will take four days to repair the 132-KV tower and six days to repair the 220-KV tower,” said a spokesperson for the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco). He said that shortfall has surpassed 1,010 MW in Balochistan as the Habibullah Coastal Power Plant was also affected by disruption of gas supply.

People in Kalat staged a protest demonstration on National Highway disrupting flow of traffic for several hours while in Quetta, dozens of people, chanting slogans against the authorities, burnt tyres on Sirki Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2011.

COMMENTS (12)

nehal | 13 years ago | Reply i think now time has come to think seriously about the balochi bandits, as they are very well encouraged by the overstretched pak army deployed on afpak border and fata.The need of the hour is to withdraw forces atleast half from fata and concentrate on suppressing the bandits in a simmilar style that has been used in Swat and now in mohmand.Pak army should pass a stern message to a major oppostion party , that they will not tolerate double speak on terror acts.In dera Bugti marshall lawa should be imposed immediately and the ambassador of switzerland should be asked to handover Brahmdagh bugti.We have a lame government ,asking them to do something is useless,as they are more interested in saving their ministries.Plz tell to the leaders of pakistan that Balochistan is the future of Pakistan and ask Pak millitary to do something and stop wasting their precious times on Pak afghan border.

Usman Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply @ sayed and ashraf the most notorious people of the earth are those who disturbs the lives of innocent people , kill them and rape them for the completion of their own interests . both of you even don't know in whom hands you are being used . I am a baloch of turbut and i know majority of people who are well educated are against the hateful agenda which you pursue. *pakistan zindabad . balochistan , sindh, khyber pukhtoonkhwa , punjab , gilgat biltistan, kashmir pakistan ki shaan.*

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Ashraf | 13 years ago | Reply @Nasir: With ISI links cropping up over the 7/7 London attacks and the Mumbai attacks, nobody will believe Pakistan now. Whatever Pakistan claims now will fall on deaf ears in the international community. Even the aid money has stopped coming after it was discovered that the money is being used to build more nuclear bombs and a new reactor. It is a sad state of affairs.

syed | 13 years ago | Reply We will get freedom... Inshallah

usman Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply Then these people raise the voice of deprivation , infact they are deprivated from looting and now are much happy by blowing gas pipelines here in quetta . i being the baloch and resident of turbat strongly condemn these activities. i agree with my brother Ashiq Khan Achakzai. May Allah save pakistan from these terrorists

Nasir | 13 years ago | Reply These terrorists are getting support from Afghanistan and India of course. Pakistan should strongly raise this issue to the International Community before its too late.

Tariq Khan | 13 years ago | Reply I totally agree with Ashiq Achakzai. Balochistan has shifted in the hands of War Lords. Our lives are always in danger other than miserable due to acts like blasting gas lines, bombing electric towers etc. Quetta has become a big jail. People cannot go out because for fear for ransom. Police is either part of the deal or too weak to face the reality. People have taken over State responsibilities like security, medical, schooling and those in government are busy looting government money irrespective of any political party. Same is true for government servants. The biggest den of financial corruption is civil secretariat. From Section officer to Secretary, each man is busy in looting. General Kiyani should come forward and at least handle the terrorists otherwise people will have to take up arms to defend themselves, creating more problems than ever.

Ashiq Khan Achakzai | 13 years ago | Reply We the residents of Balochistan wants military action against these terrorists organizations. We are fed up with their atrocities. Senior politicians are alleged to be involved in kidnapping for ransom, land grabbing and day to day corruption. Living in Quetta is like living in a Jail. Roads have been taken over by Kidnappers. Quetta - Karachi road, Quetta - Sukkur Road and Quetta - DG Khan road are all in the hands of terrorists. PIA is on strike, so no one can go any where from Quetta. It all that was not sufficient, Gas and electricity has also been closed by the terrorists. We would request Army to take military action against these people as Police and civil government is too corrupt and timid to do any good.

Yasar | 13 years ago | Reply @OnceaMohajirAlwaysaMohajir: We all know your a Indian troll because General Musharraf is a Mohajir, Ayub Khan was a pastun. Both were COAS. So why spread lies because I proved your a liar.

OnceaMohajirAlwaysaMohajir | 13 years ago | Reply It is time Punjabis realize they are not welcome anywhere. not in Karachi, not in Balochistan or KP. They need to stay put in Punjab or else face the consequences of their actions. Punjabi army is one of the most brutal armies anywhere in the world they have kidnapped so many

irfan ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Terrorist groups such as the BLA or BRP or BSO have widespread support of our media who ignore all terrorist activity conducted by these murderers be it deliberate killing of doctors,professors due to ethnicity or blowing up gas pipelines. Our media has been projecting a one sided picture for the last few years of these terrorists as victims,while it says nothing about the ethnic cleansing of punjabis in balochistan. Hundreds of hours of airtime has been spent condemning the death of akbar bugti but not a single hour by any anchor or reporter on the targetted murders of punjabis in balochistan.Why does our media have such a biased attitude towards a particular ethnic group???

Usman Baloch | 13 years ago | Reply these are the most hateful people and organizations who are doing it to disturb the daily lives of people . a banned organization have accepted this blast

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