Rigidity keeps Sui simmering

Company’s refusal to employ local people is another cause of friction.

ISLAMABAD: Tensions in the gas-rich Dera Bugti area have been stoked by the “uncompromising” stance and the “colonial mindset” of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) management. The area sits atop one of the oldest natural gas reserves in Balochistan.

Even though Islamabad has recognised Nawab Aali Bugti as the legal heir of Nawab Akbar Bugti, PPL continues to deny him the perks and privileges that he is entitled to as the chieftain of the Bugti tribes — under the land lease agreement.

As a consequence, Aali Bugti is not ready to provide anyone safe passage in the Sui gas field.

Another cause of friction is the company’s refusal to employ unskilled labour at the gas field. For instance, it continues to recruit people from regions other than Balochistan.

In a report that PPL recently prepared for the oil and natural resources ministry, the company talks about its discomfiture with Nawab Aali Bugti.

The subject of royalty
has long been a bone of contention between the late Nawab Akbar Bugti and successive governments in Quetta and Islamabad.

Over the years, the federal government refused to pay royalty to Nawab Bugti and maintained that the royalty would instead be deposited into the Balochistan government’s account — a step that angered Akbar Bugti.

The stalemate over royalty encouraged the Bugti tribesmen to challenge the government’s writ in Dera Bugti and adjoining areas. Since 2005 the area has witnessed intense insurgency and killing of the company’s staff and Frontier Constabulary personnel.

The army established a cantonment at Sui and deployed troops around the gas fields, placing an eight to ten kilometres wide cordon in a bid to ward off rocket attacks.

The PPL recommended in 2006 to relocate existing residential colonies, because it felt that most of the sabotage activities were being launched from these residential compounds.

The company also prepared a plan to set up a modern township in Dera Bugti, but failed to execute it because the federal and provincial governments  in place then reneged on their pledges. Since then, Dera Bugti has remained in a state of flux and uncertainty due to the absence of a chieftain of the Bugti tribes.

When the establishment propped up Aali Bugti as the tribal chieftain, Brahamdagh Khan Bugti, another grandson of the late nawab, as well as Talal Bugti and his son Shahzain Bugti, refused to recognise Aali as the chief of the Bugti tribes.

But acts of sabotage continued in the area throughout 2009.

In May 2009, the oil and natural resources ministry decided to extend to Aali Bugti the same facilities that were once provided to his grandfather. This included Rs1 million for hiring vehicles, Rs1.7 million for POL and Rs200,000 for other expenditures every month .

Air transport facilities were offered to the immediate family members of Aali Bugti.

In turn, Nawab Aali Bugti agreed to facilitate PPL operations in a safe and secure environment.

However, PPL claims that Nawab Aali did not honour his commitments

The army later advised PPL to pay Rs2 million a month to Aali because it had decided to transfer responsibility for security to the nawab. But PPL chose to ignore the advice because it was not consulted.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2010.