Shahzain Bugti reiterates ‘long march’ plan

Dawn

KARACHI: The chief of the Balochistan chapter of Jamhoori Watan Party – Talal faction, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, on Thursday reiterated that he would lead a ‘long march’ towards Dera Bugti on January 28.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Shahzain Bugti said he would lead the “peaceful long march” comprising internally displaced Baloch tribesmen and workers belonging to his father Talal Bugti’s faction of the JWP.

“We have rejected the government’s Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan package as it is clear by now that the government has no intention of implementing its proposals,” Shahzain told Dawn.com.

He further stated that his recent arrest was “a development that came about after the long march announcement”.

“I was implicated in a fake case and it was a clear warning against going ahead with the January 28 march…come what may, we will hold the march to Dera Bugti,” he said.

Shahzain, the grandson of late Nawab Akbar Bugti, and his 26 security guards were arrestedon December 22, 2010 by paramilitary troops of the Frontier Corps at the Buleli checkpoint near Quetta. Their arrest followed the recovery of a huge quantity of illegal arms and ammunition, including anti-aircraft guns, from the vehicles of Shahzain’s convoy coming from the border town of Chaman.

Shahzain and the 26 guards were released from Quetta district jail on January 18 after grant of bail by the Balochistan High Court.

BHC approves Shahzain Bugti's bail plea

BHC reserves judgement on bail plea after plea
was rejected by district and sessions court, Quetta.

Tribune

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has ordered the release of the of the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) provincial president Shahzain Bugti and 26 other people on bail.

Shahzain Bugti and 26 other people were arrested on charges of recovery of heavy and dangerous weapons on December 22 by the personnel of Frontier Corps near Quetta.

Their counsel had moved the Balochistan High Court for their release on bail following rejection of their bail plea by District and Session Court Quetta .

Announcing the judgment the vacation judge of the Balochistan High Court, Mr Justice Muhammad Noor Miskanzai approved thebail application and ordered for the release of Shahzain Bugti and 26 others on submission of surety bonds of Rs 500,000 by each.

Shahzain Bugti’s bail plea rejected

Tribune

QUETTA: Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) president Shahzain Bugti’s bail plea was rejected by the additional district and sessions Judge Quetta-V on Saturday. The bail pleas of twenty-six other people arrested with Bugti were also rejected.

Bugti and twenty six other people were arrested by the Frontier Corps (FC) after they recovered huge quantities of weapons from their vehicles. The police had earlier produced all the accused in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

After the ATC verdict that cases against Bugti and the others don’t fall in the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the counsel for the accused filed the bail plea in the sessions court.

Dawood Khan Nasar, the judge of the Additional District and Sessions Court–V rejected the bail application.

Talking to the media, the counsel for the accused Advocate Vishva Nath Kohli, said that an application would be filed in the Balochistan High Court for the release of the JWP leader and the others on bail.

Shahzain Bugti a puppet of establishment: Bramdagh

Daily-Times
* BRP chief claims Shahzain is Punjabi, not Baloch, has been installed in Dera Bugti for a mission
* Says he will support anyone fighting for right, honour of Baloch


Q: What do you think about Shazain Bugti’s recent arrest?

Bramdagh: That was a joke of the highest order. The Baloch are no fools that they would not understand that a person who is controlled by the agencies could be arrested. It was all orchestrated to, give some sort of legitimacy to Shazain Bhugtti, who is in all reality a puppet of the Pakistani establishment and nothing more or less. He does not command any respect in Balochistan nor is welcome in Dera Bugti and lives in Punjab, not in Balochistan. He is Punjabi, not Baloch. He has been installed in Dera Bugti for a mission. Remember, he has no legitimacy between the Bugti’s and the Baloch.

Q: Tell us about the targeted killings of the Punjabis in Balochistan. Why did they deserve to take the hit for the crimes that according to you were committed by a certain lobby in Balochistan. Only recently, there had been killings of Punjabis at a bus stand.

BB: There were no targeted killings in Dera Bugti. The Punjabis had lived there peacefully. They came from Punjab to solve their problems in Dera Bugti. You need to distinguish between the two, the ongoing insurgency that is the legitimate right of all Baloch. In Balochistan there are three kinds of killings: a) by Baloch terrorists b) By agencies c) Revenge attacks. It might be that the third group targets certain Punjabis, as thousands of Baloch had been killed extra-judicially. There is anger.

Q: There have been reports in the media that you are leading an armed resistance and are responsible for the killings in Balochistan. Have you head of BRA or the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)? Or both? Do you own these organisations, Baramdagh?

BB: I would support anyone who is fighting for the right and honour of the Baloch. From Khuzdar to Dera Bugti to Quetta to Lasbela or even Lyari. The Balochis are neglected, dishonoured and treated as slaves. So, why would they not fight. If you kill my brother do you expect me to bow in front of you. No Baloch could do that. To your question, BLA and BRA are legitimate fighting forces in Balochistan, but to say that I am in command is absolutely incorrect. I am just a figurehead, a political face and nothing more or else. Do you think I have powers from where I am sitting to do anything, absolutely not. I cannot micromanage nor do I have access to communication. These are Balochis, for heaven’s sake, not Indians, Afghans or anyone else fighting for their rights. Understand that and respect us.

Q: What rights, Baramdagh. Who gave you legitimacy. How could you claim that you are a political face when there is an elected government in Balochistan.

BB: (Laughs) First, all Baloch nationalists had rightly boycotted the previous elections, so to say that the current set up was Baloch is just a farce. Yes, the current governor and chief minister are Baloch but the local politics is dominated by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), who cannot be Baloch, and even those who are Baloch are either helpless, blackmailed by agencies or are puppets. As for my legitimacy, I never claimed it, I inherited it, I command it. I left everything I had, all the luxuries to live in caves for my homeland. I am not afraid to die because I am a Baloch. That is my legitimacy.

Q: Okay you now have legitimacy. Now what, kill everyone in Balochistan?

BB: Let me assure you it is the other way around. It is the Baloch who are being killed. What do you expect them to do, wear bangles, No. We fight for our honour and we shall die for one.

Q: What is the solution?

BB: The solution is ‘respect’ and ‘honour’, and that could come from giving the Baloch the rights they deserve. A) There has to be an absolute withdrawal of the army, FC and other intelligence agencies B) Halt to this silent genocide of the Baloch C) Recovery of all missing persons in Balochistan D) Giving all resources back to us. If you have the remotest thought in your mind that from now onwards the Baloch would settle for full provincial autonomy even, we had been pushed beyond that.

Q: Baramdagh, you are an Indian asset, are you not? With an Indian passport bent upon destroying integrity and unification of Pakistan.

BB: (Laughs) What integrity? What unification? For the record, I am neither an Indian asset nor anyone else’s asset. I am only an asset of the in fact Balochistan is our only asset. I tell you to read the report by Amnesty International and other reports published by international organisations.

Baloch nationalist: Shahzain’s remand extended

Tribune

QUETTA: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta remanded on Thursday Balochistan chief of the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) Shahzain Bugti and 26 other co-accused into police custody for three more days.

Bugti, who is a grandson of the slain Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, and his accomplices were arrested by the Frontier Corps (FC) last week. A huge cache of ammunition was seized from his possession.

The men were produced in court amid tight security, after the lapse of the seven-day remand.

The prosecutor requested the court to grant a 20-day extension in remand but the court decided to extend it by three days.

According to Bugti’s lawyer, Mukaish Kohli, the prosecution said they needed more time because they had included four more accused, who were originally from Chaman.

Later, Kohli said that the court had reserved its judgment on the bail plea until Friday. He said that the police had failed to produce a report about the previous remand. “The court ordered them to submit a report on the next date of hearing, otherwise the accused will be sent to jail,” he said.

Kohli said that he requested the court to accept Bugti’s bail application as the police had failed to produce any incriminating evidence against him.

Speaking to reporters, Bugti said he reposed confidence in the judiciary and that he would accept its decision. Meanwhile, JWP activists held a protest demonstration outside the court premises, demanding Bugti’s immediate release.

Strike in Balochistan against Shahzain Bugti’s arrest

DAWN

QUETTA: A shutter down strike was being observed on Friday in Quetta and in a number of districts in Balochistan province against the arrest of Jamhoori Watan Party’s provincial chief Shahzain Bugti and his personal guards.

Television reports said a partial shutter down strike was being observed in several areas of Quetta.

The administration had deployed police and Balochistan Constabulary across the city to avoid any untoward incident.

According to one report, JWP activists resorted to aerial firing in some parts of Quetta. Subsequently, the police seized their weapons and arrested at least nine persons who were forcing shopkeepers to shut down their businesses for the day.

On December 22, paramilitary troops arrested Shahzain Bugti, a grandson of the late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, along with several personal guards, after finding a huge quantity of illegal arms and ammunition in vehicles of his convoy coming from the border town of Chaman.

ATC gives 7-day remand to Shahzain Bugti

Tribune

QUETTA: An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) in Quetta gave Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) Balochistan President Shahzain Bugti a seven-day remand on Thursday.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Bugti said he had been trapped in this case saying that he will face all cases levelled against him and his companions.

Bugti was arrested by Frontier Corps (FC) officials on Wednesday at the Balili Checkpost near Chaman.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also seized from him and his men, after which he was handed over to the police on the orders of Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Bugti said that if he and his companions were really carrying so many weapons the police would not have been able to stop them.

FC arrests Shahzain Bugti

Dawn

QUETTA: Jamhoori Watan Party’s Balochistan chief Shahzain Bugti and his 17 bodyguards were arrested by Frontier Constabulary (FC) Balochistan, DawnNews reported.

Shahzain Bugti’s convoy was stopped at the Buleli check post before being detained by FC personnel.

A huge quantity weapons and ammunition was reportedly recovered from one of the vehicles which was part of the convoy.

Shahzain Bugti called the incident a conspiracy to stop him from entering Dera Bugti.

Shahzain Bugti is the grandson of slain Baloch leader and former chief minister of Balochistan Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.