Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti addresses a press conference in Quetta on September 8, 2015. PHOTO: BANARAS KHAN/EXPRESS
The head of the outlawed separatist group Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, has reportedly been killed in a recent raid by paramilitary troops in his native district of Awaran, the home minister of Balochistan said on Tuesday as mystery over the fate of the most proactive Baloch militant commander deepens.
“I’ve information that Allah Nazar has been killed,” Sarfaraz Bugti told a news conference at the provincial home department where Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Duranni was also present. “Allah Nazar had waged war against Pakistani forces from his hometown,” he added. “I cannot confirm the death of Allah Nazar but we have information that he has been killed in an operation in Awaran.”
“Several key militants were killed in the operation. And there has been no trace of Allah Nazar since then.” According to reliable sources, Allah Nazar was killed one day before Eidul Fitr in an airstrike by the security forces on his hideout that also served as BLF’s headquarters.
Bugti revealed that a huge communication centre of terrorists has been destroyed during another raid in Dalbandin, a town in Chagai district which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran. “The illegal communication centre was established at a hilltop in Dalbandin, of which PTCL V Phone numbers were being used by Indian intelligence agency’s agents, militants and drug smugglers,” he added.
Bugti said at least seven terrorists were taken into custody and a large number of SIM cards and antennas were also seized during the raid. “These terrorists are on the payroll of Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies,” he added. This communication centre had been under surveillance of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.
“Security forces recovered the 600 international SIM cards and 1,000 antennas,” he said. He went on to add that the communication centre was used by banned separatist groups linked by India’s RAW and Afghanistan’s NDS, Taliban, al Qaeda, Jundullah and arms smugglers. “The SIM cards are from Afghanistan, India, Iran, UK, USA, Gulf and Eroupe.”
Allah Nazar was arrested in 2006 for his involvement in the Baloch insurgency sparked by the killing of Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in a military operation near Kohlu.
However, he was released in 2008 after he struck a deal with the establishment. Allah Nazar violated the agreement, reneged on his commitment of staying away from violence and joined followers of Baloch separatist leader Nawab Khair Marri.
A few months before his reported death, Allah Nazar had developed serious differences with Harbiyar Marri, the militant son of Nawab Marri. As a follower of Nawab Marri, Allah Nazar was also a strong proponent of an independent Balochistan state.
A former leader of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO), Allah Nazar became popular among the Baloch youth inspired by Nawab Marri. A physician by profession, Allah Nazar had studied medicines at Quetta’s Bolan Medical College.
It is widely believed Allah Nazar’s BLF, the group that has played havoc with Makran region, receives funds from Indian intelligence agency RAW. According to official claims, the group is responsible for the killing of many non-Baloch as well as Baloch people for siding with the state.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2015.
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