Akbar Bugti

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Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti (Urdu: نواب اکبر شہاز خان بگٹی) (July 12, 1927–August 26, 2006) was the Tumandar (head) of the Bugti tribe of Baluch and served as governor of Balochistan Province in Pakistan. An Oxford^[1]-educated man in a land of widespread illiteracy, he was a towering personality in Baloch politics for more than five decades.

After an armed struggle started in Balochistan in 2004, Bugti was widely perceived as a leader but went underground in 2005. On August 26, 2006, after several attempts were made on his life in the preceding months,^[2] he was killed in his cave in Kohlu, about 150 miles east of Quetta, leading to widespread unrest in the area. Today, he is widely regarded as a hero and martyr.

With a wide following that crossed tribal lines among ethnic Baloch groups, the contradictions in this western educated tribal leader roused strong emotions, both positive and negative. Despite making harsh decisions at times, he was considered a pacifist by many and certainly did not espouse a violent path in his early political career. In recent years, he was accused by the Pakistani government of being a warlord and running a well-organized militia, sometimes thought to be the shadowy Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) with members numbering in the thousands. The BLA allegedly ran dozens of militant guerrilla training camps. While campaigning from the mountain ranges of Dera Bugti, he was, according to the Pakistani government, directing a “Fidel Castro/Che Guevara” style guerrilla war. In July 2006, Pakistani president General Musharraf targeted him through aerial bombing, using air force jets and gunship helicopters. The leader of Balochistan National Party (Mengal) Sardar Akhtar Mengal said, "The increase in bomb attacks in the Bugti and Marri areas are meant to target Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and his associates" and called upon the international community to take note of the situation. ^[3]

With names such as The Tiger of Balochistan, The Trade Unionist, or Gas Man (supposedly having ownership of many gasfields), he was a towering figure in the Baloch world. The longstanding conflict in Balochistan stems from the quantum of autonomy the province was promised when they joined Pakistan in 1947 and then under the 1973 Pakistani constitution. Today a large faction continues to campaign, sometimes violently, for an autonomy which Baluchistan's citizens believe to be their due under the promises made to them by various Pakistani leaders. The BLA is painted by the Pakistani government as a "great threat" to law and order in Balochistan and was recently banned by the Government of Pakistan as well as by the United Kingdom.

Contents 1 Life 2 In Hiding 3 Death 4 Family 5 Further reading 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links 8.1 Video clips 8.2 Audio clips

[edit] Life

Akbar Bugti was the son of Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti and a grandson of Sir Shahbaz Khan Bugti. He was born in Barkhan on July 12, 1927. He was educated at Oxford, England and Aitchison College, Lahore. It is alleged that he committed his first murder when he was only 12 and that he had several men killed to avenge the assassination of his son, (Salal Bugti).

Nawab Akbar Bugti was elected in a by-election to the National Assembly of Pakistan in May 1958 to fill the vacancy created as a result of the assassination of the incumbent, Dr Khan Sahib, and sat on the government bench as a member of the ruling coalition.

Bugti (Republican) served as Minister of State (Interior) in the government of Prime Minister Malik Sir Feroz Khan Noon (Republican) from September 20, 1958, to October 7, 1958, when the cabinet was dismissed on the declaration of Martial Law by President Iskander Mirza.

He was arrested and convicted by a Military Tribunal in 1960 and subsequently disqualified from holding public office. As a result of his legal battles, he did not contest the 1970 general elections. Instead, he campaigned on behalf of his younger brother, Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, a candidate of the National Awami Party.

However, Bugti developed differences with the NAP leadership, especially the new Balochistan Governor, Mir Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo. He informed the Federal Government and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Pakistan Peoples Party) of the alleged London Plan, which resulted in the dismissal of the provincial governor as well as the Chief Minister Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal and his cabinet on February 14, 1973.

The next day, the Federal Government appointed Bugti as the Governor of Balochistan, and the Pakistan Army was deployed in the province as part of a crackdown on the National Awami Party.

He resigned on January 1, 1974, after disagreeing with the manner in which the Federal Government was carrying out policies in Balochistan. The army had deployed 100,000 men in Baluchistan and with the help of the Iranian airforce killed large numbers of Baluchis. Muhammad Raza Shah Pehlavi, the King of Iran, sent F-14 fighter jets along with his pilots, to help Pakistani army suppress the Baluchis. The Pakistani army killed more than 4000 Baluchis in these operations.

There was a lull in his activities when General Rahimuddin Khan was appointed Governor of Balochistan in 1978. Bugti remained silent throughout the course of Rahimuddin's rule, which was often characterized by hostility towards the Baloch Sardars.

In 1988, he joined the Balochistan National Alliance and was elected Chief Minister on February 4, 1989. His government frequently disagreed with the Federal Government led by the Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan Peoples Party).

Bugti resigned on August 6, 1990, when the provincial assembly was dissolved by Governor of Balochistan General Muhammad Musa Khan in accordance with the instructions of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who was exercising his authority by virtue of Article 58 (2 b) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The incoming caretaker, Chief Minister Mir Humayun Khan Marri, was his son-in-law.

For the 1990 General Elections, Bugti formed his own political party, the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), being Balochistan's single largest party and was elected to the provincial assembly.

In 1993, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan, representing the JWP in parliament. Also, in 1993, Nawab Bugti announced his candidacy to be President of Pakistan but later withdrew his candidacy and announced his support of the eventual winner, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. In 1997, Nawab Bugti was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan, representing the JWP.

Bugti was involved in struggles, at times armed ones, in Balochistan in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He led the current movement in Balochistan for greater autonomy. He was the public face and provided political support for the movement while his grandson, Brahamdagh Khan Bugti, led the Bugti tribesmen.

[edit] In Hiding

Bugti lead a protest against the present establishment in Pakistan in February 2005, after the rape of a female doctor, Shazia Khalid, in Pakistan's Sui gas fields. The alleged rapist was a certain Captain Hamad of the Pakistan Army. The Pakistani President, General Musharrafabsolved the captain of any wrongdoing without any judicial proceedings. The General later told the Washington Post that women like Shazia Khalid had made it a business concern by getting raped to procure foreign visas (see the WP link below).

Violence erupted in the Sui area after the high-handed tactics of Pakistan army. The Bugti tribesman attacked gas installations in Sui and claimed the reaction to be "appropriate and fitting".^[4] In the following months, Bugti's tribesmen launched attacks on infrastructure and military/govt. installations while Bugti threatened the government. Clashes continued until a ceasefire later that year.

The members of General Musharraf's inner circle, i.e. Chaudhary Shujaat Hussein and Mushahid Hussein, met Bugti and negotiated a political settlement. The General, however, vetoed the agreement reached by his own men and launched the military offensive against the Bugtis, especially with an intent to decapitate them by killing Akbar Bugti. After a major aerial attack using air-to-surface missiles on his compound, the Nawab left his hometown of Dera Bugti and went into hiding in the Bhambore hills in the Marri area.

While Bugti was well-loved by most Baloch, many also frowned on his tribal background and lamented the lack of development for his region during his stints in power. However, his courage in standing up against an undemocratic establishment in an environment where most politicians were either bribed or coerced into submission was widely respected. The fact, however, remains that from 1978-1984 the military ruler of Baluchistan had complete control over the region, without any interference from Bugti or any other leader. Instead of using this record time--longest period for any governor in Pakistan's history--the army with General Rahimuudin focused on developing its own infrastructure and running a covert war against the former USSR ^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Death

On Saturday August 26, 2006, around 2230 hrs (PST), Bugti was killed in a bombing operation that caused the cave roof to collapse on him. His location was traced through the satellite phone he was using, and Pakistani secret service agencies pin-pointed his location. (It is not clear if he was pinpointed through a satellite phone)^[5] The news of his death was broken to the media by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, leader of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians.

Pakistani President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, has termed his death a victory for Pakistanis and congratulated the secret service chief who carried out this operation. Pakistan's Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani, confirmed that the operation included both air and ground assault. In a short telephonic interview made to a private television network, Pakistani Information Minister said that Bugti's death occurred as the cave he was in collapsed.

On August 24, 2006, under controversial circumstances, some Bugti tribesmen announced an end to the Nawabi system and requested the handing over of Nawab Bugti to authorities.[1] His property was seized, and he was declared as a "proclaimed offender."^{[citation needed]}

Bugti's death was followed by rioting by hundreds of students from the state-run Balochistan university.^[6] As the news flashed across television screens in Pakistan, the government deployed Rangers and paramilitary forces across major cities to prevent a backlash and impose a curfew in the provincial capital, Quetta.^[6] Security arrangements for the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf have been beefed up to the highest level, and his movement has since been very restricted, fearing a retaliatory attack. Security arrangements have been further enhanced in and around all airports of Pakistan. The media both in Pakistan and outside have severely condemend the killing as the "[m]ilitary’s second biggest blunder after Bhutto’s execution" and calling it a "political nightmare".^[7] Others have likened it to the East Bengal crisis of 1971 where military violence eventually led to the Bangladesh Liberation War.^[8]

On August 27, 2006, some private media broadcasted news that Bugti's grandsons, Bramdakh and Mir Ali, are still alive, but no official confirmation has been made.^{[citation needed]}

On September 1, 2006 Bugti was buried in Dera Bugti, next to the graves of his son and brother. His family, who wanted a public funeral in Quetta, did not attend the burial.^[9]

This is one of the few instances in Asia of a government killing a political leader who had previously served in high official positions as a cabinet minister, Senator, and Governor.

[edit] Family

Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti, Son of Sir Shahbaz Khan Bugti had two sons, Nawab Akbar Bugti and Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Bugti. Nawab Akbar Bugti had three wives and six sons and two daughters. His Baloch wife gave birth to four sons: Nawabzada Saleem Khan Bugti, Nawabzada Talal Khan Bugti, Nawabzada Salal Khan Bugti, and Nawabzada Rehan Khan Bugti. Of these four sons, three have died. Nawabzada Salal Bugti was murdered in a shootout in Quetta by the rival Bugti Kalpar sub clan in 1993. Nawab Akbar Bugti's second wife was a Pathan; she gave birth to Nawabzada Jameel Khan Bugti. Nawab Akbar Bugti's third wife was Iranian, and she gave birth to Shahzwar Khan Bugti. Jameel Akbar Bugti, Talal Akbar Bugti, and Shahzwar Khan Bugti are the surviving sons of Nawab Akbar Bugti. Sardar Nawab Akbar Bugti's daughter is married to Mir Balakh Sher Mazari's son who is the chieftan of the neighbouring Mazari tribe. Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Bugti had four sons: Tanvir Khan, Anees Khan, Farooq Khan, and Naveed Khan. Tanvir Khan, who was the oldest, also passed away in 1991 due to natural causes.

The Bugti Grandchildren consist of Brahamdagh Khan Bugti, Mir Aali Bugti, Mir Taleh Bugti, Saad Khan Bugti, Shahzain Bugti, Gohram Bugti, Washane Bugti, Sarang Bugti, Ahmad Marri, Muhammad Marri, and Tabish Bugti.

[edit] Further reading

• Matheson, Sylvia A. The Tigers of Baluchistan. London: Arthure Barker Limited (1967). Reprint: Oxford University Press, Karachi (1998), ISBN 0-19-577763-8.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Dawn - Dera Bugti jirga ‘ends Sardari system’
• Dawn - Elders term ‘jirga’ a govt drama
• DAWN - The Tumandar of the Bugtis
• Daily Times - Akbar Bugti killed in army operation
• Dawn - Bugti killed in operation: Six officers among 21 security personnel dead
• Gulf News - Bugti's killing will haunt Musharraf

[edit] External links

[edit] Video clips

• CNN Video Clip CNN Video Report on the Bugti tribe 2001
• BBC Reporters BBC Video Report on Dera Bugti, Balochistan situation 2005
• BBC Reporters BBC Video Report on Dera Bugti, Balochistan situation 2006

[edit] Audio clips

• 13.01.05 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 27.01.05 Voice Of America English Interview Nawab Bugti
• 17.03.05 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 10.04.05 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 15.05.05 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 18.12.05 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 19.12.05 Voice Of Germany Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 25.12.05 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 14.02.06 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 11.05.06 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 14.06.06 BBC Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• 07.07.2006 Interview of Nawab Bugti explaining how on 3rd July 2006, his tribesmen foiled the Pakistani governments attempts to assassinate him for the third time using 3 fighter jets, 19 gunship helicopters which landed dozens of para-troopers and commandos (This particular clip has been blocked in Pakistan and can only be heard in countries other than Pakistan)
• 09.07.06 Voice Of America Urdu Interview Nawab Bugti
• General Musharraf talks to The Washington Post about his view of the rape vitims