8 years on, Bugti grandsons leave for home

Late Nawab Akbar Bugti's grandsons claim security forces have vacated their family fort.

ISLAMABAD: As the grandsons of late Nawab Akbar Bugti left for their hometown in Balochistan, the security forces vacated the Bugti fort on Wednesday.

The claim was made by Nawab’s grandsons Gohram Bugti and Shahzain Bugti while speaking to The Express Tribune at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

The Bugti family will be visiting their family fort after eight years."We are very happy today as we are going home," they said.

A group of internally displaced persons belonging to the Bugti tribe are going to the district along with the grandsons after the government allowed them to visit their homes.

Gohram is leading the group which will reach Dera Bugti tomorrow.

The federal and provincial governments have assured the displaced tribesmen of their support.

Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch is expected to join this group of returning tribesmen tomorrow.

Background

After the government’s military operation in Balochistan in 2006-2007, an estimated 170,000 tribesmen migrated from Dera Bugti and its adjoining districts. They were later kept from resettling in their homes. According to Gohram, over 200,000 are homeless since 2005.

The tribesmen say the previous government did nothing for these displaced families, except for arresting them in 2010 and later releasing them.

Earlier this year, the tribes tried to enter into Dera Bugti twice but were stopped at the Dolo checkpoint by law enforcement agencies asking them to show entry passes. They are now living in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Hyderabad, Rohri, Sukkur, Khairpur and Karachi.

Around 2,000 tribesmen have been protesting outside the parliament for the last few months.