President of the Balochistan chapter of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), Shahzain Bugti, called on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Friday at his Raiwind estate where he unveiled an eight-point formula for stabilising the restive province.
According to an official statement, Bugti’s formula includes an immediate trial of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, end to the ongoing military operations in Balochistan and withdrawal of Army troops from the province, recovery of over 13,000 missing persons, and ‘abolition of the no-go area status’ of Dera Bugti.
He also called for unmasking the intelligence officials who were behind the murder of his grandfather Nawab Akbar Bugti, end to dumping of mutilated bodies and abolition of three garrisons in Kohlu, Gwadar and Dera Bugti which were built during the Musharraf era.
Nawaz Sharif reiterated that unless the government arrested the killers of Akbar Bugti and recovered the missing persons, the PML-N would not participate in any all-party conference on Balochistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2012.
Correction: Earlier, Shahzain Bugti was incorrectly termed as BNP leader in the picture caption. The error has been rectified.
COMMENTS (52)
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Who is to say it is the army doing the killing? In karachi, when the killing was happening where was the army? There is no army in baluchistn only the FC. People fail to mention the human rights abuse when soldiers and majors are martyred. The Baluch tribes are fighting each other and with people making these comments it is potentially dangerous because people can misuse this perception of army being the killers and start their own serial killing of their enemies and then cry wolf. People believe anything said about pakistan army negatively! What about the bravery and peace role of our blue cap UN soldiers. Be proud that Pakistan contributes the most soldiers on ground in Africa mainly. What happened in Swat. Why does telegraph not talk about drone attrocities?
Army operation resulted in the creation of Bangla Desh and now Army operations are continuing in more than one location. And the Army sits quiet when US drones kills people. Things have come to a boiling point in Balochistan. Only the trial of Musharraf and the General of Pakistan Army who have killed people in Balochistan. "This gruesome parade of corpses has been surfacing in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, since last July. Several human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accounted for more than 100 bodies – lawyers, students, taxi drivers, farm workers. Most have been tortured. The last three were discovered on Sunday. If you have not heard of this epic killing spree, though, don't worry: neither have most Pakistanis. Newspaper reports from Balochistan are buried quietly on the inside pages, cloaked in euphemisms or, quite often, not published at all. The forces of law and order also seem to be curiously indifferent to the plight of the dead men. Not a single person has been arrested or prosecuted; in fact, police investigators openly admit they are not even looking for anyone. The stunning lack of interest in Pakistan's greatest murder mystery in decades becomes more understandable, however, when it emerges that the prime suspect is not some shady gang of sadistic serial killers, but the country's powerful military and its unaccountable intelligence men. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/balochistan-pakistans-secret-dirty-war
Baluchistan is an integral part of Pakistan. No power on the earth can separate it from Pakistan. The people of Baluchistan are as loyal to the country as the people of other three provinces. I have personally witnessed the hospitality of the people of Baluchistan during my posting in Quetta during a short span of 9 months. It is a matter of shame on the part of past governments whodid nothing for the development of the provinve and have been blaming each other for this lapse. Even the elected representatives of the people did nothing for the poor people and pocketed all development funds for themselves.Nothing was done for education. No schools, colleges and hospitals wee contructed. If India is creating trouble in the province what the government is doing except corruption. Army is doing its best to deal with the terrorists who are being provided with money and arms by the enemy. and who are engaged in blowing gas pipelines and other vital installations. As regards annoyed sardars they should be requested to come to Pakistan and should be assigned important task of developmrnt of the province. They have the same rights as the people of other provinces. Nawab of Kalat. Attaullah Mengal and Bugties are all loyal people. They shuld be appointed on important posts such as governor and chief minister and on the . federal level also they should be included as ministers.. These people have roots in the poor people of the province.
@Baluch: Also please recover so many tourists that have gone to Baluchistan and never found. Only God knows if they are alive or dead. They are also missing persons Sir. The solution lies within the sovereignty of Pakistan not outside.
From one enemy of Pakistan to two enemies of Pakistan. My goodness.
Shahzain sahab. Please shake Imran Khan's hand instead of nawaz sharif's who is a traitor on multiple levels. Imran Khan had the guts to apologize to Balochis in front 200,000 people in Karachi for the mistakes of past governments regarding Balochistan on behalf of an entire nation. You are our brothers and sisters. Don't talk about leaving us. Indians, you can try all you want - deal with your maoists, rss, shiv sena, sikhs, and kashmiri problem before you think about trying to cause trouble here. Otherwise, you know the consequences. We'll just send a few Afridis, Mengals, Khans, Gakkar, after you... they will be enough for you to try to deal with. lols.. Now go crash another "fighter jet", land a "satellite" in the ocean on launch, and make more bollywood movies in Malaysia cause ya can't show the real india of Slumdog Millionaire. LOLSS. tata! LOLS
Placate the Baloch get rid of the sardars who the source of all these problems and of keeping the people of Baluchistan behind. Free them from their clutches. It is not pre-1947 that you make them slaves. All Balochs are the free citizens of Pakistan and they are all over Pakistan. We love them and they love us. It is the sardars who hate the people of Baluchistan as they want them to be their slaves and the same sardars hate the rest of the citizens of Pakistan. Placate the Baloch and sidline the sardars! they are not worth it.
why stop there? the 9th point should be making bugti lifetime governer of the province, eradicating the electoral process in the province, enslaving the pashtuns living there, giving a license to kill the settlers, the revenue collection should go to the personal accounts of the sardars... a democratic dictator nawaz and a tribal sardar bugti ...no hope they could ever solve the problems of the common baloch...
Where is Mir Alay, the current leader of his tribe ?
The picture title says "BNP Leader". He was Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) Leader, the party founded by his grand father.
@Usman: thtz always the game...Nawaz wants Mushy and Baloch sardars want power...who cares abt Pakistan????
Condition that army garrisons be abolished is ridiculous. Baluchistan is part of Pakistan. Central government can have cantonments and garrisons anywhere in the country. Removing army from the province is also wrong. Separatist cannot be allowed to have their way. NEVER! PMLN is playing dangerous game.
@Ammad Malik: Finally some sane voices are highlighting and advocating the truth. I admire all who are raising their voices against injustices and exploitation of Balochistan.
Nevertheless, unfortunately, it appears that most the commentators are still living in the dark ages and, for some mysterious reasons, trying to promote the interests of so called security mind set i.e. security establishment. In order to support my viewpoint, I ask you all to look closely the language used by these commentators. In fact, this ignorant and irresponsible attitude has already resulted in the form of tragic separation of Bangladesh, but these WISE GUYS are not ready to learn a single lesson. They are putting all their energies and efforts to defend the sheer exploitation of Balochistan and brutal actions exercised by security establishment in this province. It might not be too late, but it will be very late soon, if we do not take any serious steps to bridge the trust relationship with Balochs, which is widening day by day.
No doubt NS is funding Bugti's
pakistan has lost balochistan. Ten year back war has been started on baloch and their rights was grab by panjab which is either unfair from Islamic point of view or from social point of view. Islam tells us, we have to use natural resources on those places from where we extract. The gas pipe line is passed through straight to panjab and baloch don't know about them on the same way electricity is produced in KP but used by Panjab. This and many other issues were the main reasons behind the rise of people. America has passed bill for the freedom of baloch from their congress, which is really a shameful act against sovereignty of Pakistan. And this state of balochistan is very vital for economic point of view. Gwader port is located in balochistan, and this is short way for China to export their commodity to golf countries. So, if china uses this rout for export to Europe and Arab county, the competition will become more severe on those markets with European market with American and other western made commodities. Other economic issue is the Iran Pakistan gas pipe line, this is more discussing in media and American foreign minister Clinton has recently restrict Pakistani government to go ahead with this. My recommendation for the Pakistani government is to give full authority to balochs and provide every other necessary infrastructure and recruit them on some profitable project and made fair distribution of resource in over all Pakistan. Resource of this nation is not only belonging to Panjab. Thanks
@Saleem
Unfortunately it seems you need to understand a little more than what you've been told. First of all, I am Punjabi, so really no vested interest.
The sardars are paid royalty for any natural resource extraction from their personal property. The Government of Balochistan has a separate right for royalty. The peanut you have been paying to your federation (lowest amongst anyone else in the region) is further filtered down to an almost funny amount and handed over to the Government of Balochistan. They don't get value for their resource, and what they are entitled to under the stupid formula is also not paid, hence the arrears!!
Wheat? pay them their share of Natural gas, they will have more than enough money to be 10 years ahead of Punjab in no time.
Wake up. go and spend two weeks with the Baloch, Pathan and Sindhi... maybe you'll understand who is blind.
It should be called "Revenge formula" indeed
@Realist I m talking what Shahzain demands are .. which has no link to common man. You are talking & opening another debate which is not the topic
@Usman: So common men aren't getting killed or abducted by spy agencies right? Common men arent getting killed by random people ?
Bugti Sb, What did you do to all the weapons that you were caught with, smuggling from Afghanistan, those were enough to arm a regiment. Were they for hunting, safeguard against the members within your family or killing the Pakistan Army soldiers and officers like some of your forefathers. The solution of Baluchistan wil only be sustainable when common Baluchi will be involved not one feudal like you or your family. Baluchistan is an integral part of Pakistan not you or any feudal who want to separate "UNLESS".Your points hold good to your support structure who are not much different from you, Afterall, Birds of a Feather, Flock together.
Before trial has begun there biasness. Both have anti musharraf stance and want him to be hanged. Question is for what? There are always two sides to the story. The other side is that bugti was a fighter and never wanted to be taken alive. So when6-8 officers went in to get him, he blew up the cave! Corruption is one thing but blaming someone for MURDER is a massive allegation. Think before you speak because in a civilized country if you say someone is a murderer and can't prove it, you can be charged for defamation.
Revenge formula ? nothing to do with the people ...what a crap. Can't some one as mature as Nawaz Sharif can analyze it. P.S Shezan Bhugtti just represents a small fraction of Bhutti tribe let alone whole Balouchistan.
If these militants want Army out from sensitive areas then they first give up their militancy and hand over wanted militants to the police and some one like Shahzain Bhugtti, publicly condemn the other sardars who are chanting for independence for their political gains.
@Ammad Malik , you are so blinded by the Baloch Sardars propaganda. The Punjab and Sindh or for that matter rest of Pakistan are not cooking at Baluchs expense !!! . We are paying bills to THE GOVERNMENT and the authorities for using the gas. The Government pays royalties to your sardars for extracting the gas . If the royalties are used on personal affairs by Sardars and not on uplift of the region than I believe Sardars should be answerable to common Baluch like you. Lets not forget that world is turning into global village now, the wheat Baluch eats 'pays for' ( like Panjabis 'pay for' gas ) is coming from Panjab. Your cars / mobiles are exported through karachi port and going global the PC I am using and purchased is assembled in Korea and parts made all over the world. GAS is not ONLY commodity that you keep bringing up forgetting that royalties are paid for it.
the whole country depends on PUNJAB's progress.
This is a conspiracy against PUNJAB by sind and balochistan to deprive PUNJAB of gas and thus bringing down its economy.
& one more demand from the common Baloch is to end dictatorship in all those garrisoned areas of DB & Kohlu...& Mr. Chota Bugti also clear ur intentions behind those arms carrying incident in which u were jailed...
His meeting with Nawaz Sharif is enough to show that how much he is fair with Baloch's cause. Shame!
Militants kill to make statements, so they take responsibility. Sects enjoy pointing the finger at the other one they feel opposes them or mistreats them. When the case is cold before it opens with just slight references in the media, it's ISI.
That pattern never lets the curious down.
It is very shameful that Mt Nawaz is promoting personal desires of a single person of Baluchistan as he is the owner of whole Baluchistan. In whats capacity Shazain tabled these condition. It is perhaps Mr. Nawaz Sharif who will support repeat of 1971.
@Ammad Malik, too lat for what? if hopeless ppl like have any solution then bring it forth, rather to just say its too late...
This so called representative of the people of Baluchistan has no link to the people of that province ''what so ever''. The state gives him crores so he can buy toys (cars and guns). His father, Talal Bugti and he were banished from Dera Bugti by Nawab Akbar Bugti himself during his lifetime
Most recently he was caught smuggling car loads of weapons in Baluchistan. if he claims to be a man of peace why the need to stockpile trucks of lethal illegal weapons.
We must ask Mr Shahzain whats his source of income is, as he claims to be from a backward province yet he travels in fancy expensive cars wears the best accessories and buys the most expensive arms on the planet. And if his answer is Sui Gas pays for the bills then one must venture into the details and check what exactly do we pay these pseudo royals for? Why not make schools or hospitals for the impoverished people of the area instead.
If Shahzen Bugti is sincere to his people i would suggest very solemnly that he sells one of his cars with loaded with arms and builds a school, hospital and road for his people. Also i'll advise him to pay the people who work for him rather than makin them do forced labor!
According to sources within the Bugti clan Shahzen transferred the Bugti families shares around 9-8% of OGDC to himself when his grand father was being targeted by Musharaf. Hence Mr Shahzen and his father are severely despised by the family for stealing their share in the company.
It is worth mentioning that the rightful heir to Nawab Bugti as chosen by the Bugti Jirga is Nawab Mir Aali Bugti. He is currently being side-lined by the "establishment" and the political parties as he is not corrupt enough to be pushed and bribed.
What is most interesting is that he is being given importance when he does not represent the tribe nor the Baloch people recognize him as their leader! Then why the drama?? Can it be only to confuse the people into thinking some progress is being done on the Baloch crisis.... Food for thought!
Since its is the army of Pakistan not India, it is not justified. What about the rights of common man who give 50% of their wages to these tribal giants. What about the murders and crime committed against the common poor of Balochistan commited by these tribal lord. I have nothing seem good about these monsters nawabs and tribal lords who used mullahs, talibans and other crimnals to achieve political and economic benefits. I saw many of them killed by their own gangs in KPK, but iin Balochistan they are still untoucables.
I can't believe there are still people going on about baloch sardars. the fundamental problem is lahore/punjab, not baloch sardars.
Sorry to see Mr. Nawaz Sharif trying to fish in troubled waters. In his hatred for Musharraf he should not compromise on Pakistan interests. How can any state in the world tolerate state within a state.
They have made life miserable in Baluchistan. All this is done by sardars and not the people of Baluchistan. It is high time we placate the Baloch and sideline the sardars. In fact their properties must be taken away and distributed among the landless poor in Baluchistan.
This should in fact happen with all land lords all over the country. Self employment will increase and the general health of economy will get better when law and order improves. We have to ensure that that people of only one boss and that is the State, not some vadera, choudhry, sardar or any overlord.
Above all you will see new faces in the parliament. The faces of common people not the same old landlords and sardars. In a democracy there is no room for them unless it is a sham democracy.
Then no body can stop people from getting educated and weld into one nation. These vested interests are creating their own fiefdoms and not allowing the people to come closer.
Well the Baloch rebels are encashing the death of Akbar Bugti, if you are to get them on arguments table the first thing to calm them down is to bring Musharaf home and try him for all his mal-actions. Otherwise, there is no way out, simple is that!
@Beatle Shaizan maybe living at the expense of Govt. of Punjab (though I don't see how). The entire population of Punjab, on the other hand, has been cooking food for the past 64 years at the expense of Balochistan and Sindh!
Hence, I don't see that as an argument in any case. Balochistan is part of Pakistan as a result of commitment to providing them provincial autonomy , the provincial government is entitled to do as they please within the framework of the constitution - you cannot take that right. If the military and government are sincere, coming up with a transparent and just formula would not have been a problem, however, frankly, it maybe too late now.
Irrespective of what the people feel for Shahzain, he is one of the few Baloch chieftains of note who still want to give Federation a chance. In my opinion, a traitor is a person, group or organization that either bypasses, transgresses or undermines the sanctity of its oath - either voluntary or mandatory - in allegiance to a State. Soldiers of course are included in this definition.
How come no one talks about the several jawans bugti murdered before he was killed? The sooner we learn to respect all life the better. The Army consists of people from all over Pakistan and is deployed all over Pakistan. While his cousin collects checks worth several hundred crores for gas produced in Dera bugti. They still cry and whine over Baluchistan being ignored? how much of that money went to help the people of Baluchistan? As they say in English. What goes around comes around ...
I wonder how many of the 13,000 missing persons and mutilated bodies found have been lifted and killed by rival clans. You really can't tell. And the whole blam goes to the army.
Good proposals and would help the country in the long run. Stop killing your own civilians. Too many mutilated and tortured bodies of innocent civilians have been found and thousands still missing.
Shahzain Bugti knows he will be first one to be killed by rival Baloch clans for what he and his father did to them during their rule.
common balochs have been missing not our sardar. We want to decide our own fate. Why should others worry just like kashmiris...
a big damn to this enemy of Pakistan
What's there new? Mr. Shazen is living in Lahore at the expense of Punjab government for the last several years, since he can't return to Dera Bugti due to his disputes with his own brothers and uncles. Why to draw Army from the province, and abolish cantonements? Is Baluchistan out of the Pak territory. From where the rebels are getting financial and military support? Can he ask the militants to lay-down arms and deal a normal life? These sardars have no interest in the well-being of comman Baluchs. What they are eager for is to get control of all the natural resouces and mines. Some of them demand so openly and other candidly. We must find a solution, but without any pre-conditions, on either end, considering the well-being of common man and not sardars.
Mian Jee, i have a lot of questions about you ideology...but inspite all of these...you have connections with Baloch leader...and you can convey them...! But Mian Jee...don't thin & facilitate to only Baloch SardarZ...also think about common BalochiZ...!
Yeah right stopping military operation, recovery of innocent missing persons and trialling the killer of 1000s of Baloch has nothing to do with common Baloch.
An Orwellian dystopia is what Pakistan has become.
And formula has nothing to do with the the common man of the Balochistan