Akbar Bugti

Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti (Urdu: نواب اکبر شهباز خان بگٹی‎;12 July 1927 – 26 August 2006) was the Tumandar (head) of the Bugti tribe of Baloch people who served as the Minister of State for Interior and Governor of Balochistan Province in Pakistan.^[1]

Bugti was involved in a struggle, at times armed, for greater autonomy for Balochistan. The government of Pakistan accused him of keeping private militia and leading a guerrilla war against the state. On 26 August 2006, Bugti, along with some personnel of Pakistan army, was killed when his hide-out cave, located in Kohlu, about 150 miles east of Quetta, collapsed in an explosion set off by a Pakistan Army commander.^[2] His death lead to widespread unrest in the area and a surge in the nationalist sentiment in Balochistan.

Early life and family

Bugti, meeting with Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti was born on 12 July 1927 in Barkhan (in present-day Balochistan), the rural home of the Khetran, a Baloch tribe, to which his mother belonged. He was the son of the chief of his tribe, Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti and grandson of Sir Shahbaz Khan Bugti.^[3] He received his early education from Aitchison College.^[4] Being the son of the tribe's chief, he became the tumandar (chief) of his tribe after his father. Sylvia Matheson states in her book, The Tigers of Balochistan, that Bugti told her that he killed for the first time at the age of twelve.^[3] Upon her questioning further, he stated,

Well, the man annoyed me. I’ve forgotten what it was about now, but I shot him dead. I’ve rather a hasty temper you know, but under tribal law of course it wasn’t a capital offence, and, in any case, as the eldest son of the Chieftain I was perfectly entitled to do as I pleased in our own territory. We enjoy absolute sovereignty over our people and they accept this as part of their tradition.^[5]

Balochistan conflict

Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, is abundant in natural resources but due to the lack of the will of federal government and corruption of local sardars the province includes one of the poorest areas in the country. This perceived injustice has led to the Baloch people calling for greater share in resources and more autonomy. Bugti was involved in these struggles, at times armed ones, in Balochistan in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Increase in tensions in 2005

In 2005, Bugti and Mir Balach Marri (another tribal leader) presented a 15-point agenda to the Pakistan government. Their stated demands included greater control of the province's resources and a moratorium on the construction of military bases. In the mean time, attacks against Pakistan Army also increased in the area, including 2005 attack on a helicopter, in which the head of Pakistan's Frontier Corps and his deputy were injured.^[6] The government blamed him for leading a series of attacks against its forces and installations, and the result was armed altercation between the military and Bugti and Marri tribes. Despite his age and failing health, Bugti, in the last seven months of his life, joined in the fighting alongside his tribesmen from the mountains of his home district, Dera Bugti.^[7]

Death

On 24 August 2006, fighting broke out in Kohlu district, Balochistan when a pair of army helicopters came under fire and one was hit but landed safely, according to the military spokesman. After another helicopter came under fire in the same area, the army moved in.^[8]

On Saturday 26 August 2006, senior army officer leading the advance, set off a mine at the cave entrance, which triggered secondary explosions in the cave, where Bugti was in hiding, bringing down the entire structure^[8] The collapse resulted in killing of Bugti, his grandson, 37 armed fighters and 12 soldiers of Pakistan Army.^[9] Military sources originally said that Bugti died in a ground and air operation. Officials gave differing accounts of what happened afterwards, and denied that security forces meant to kill him.^[10][11]

Aftermath

On 1 September 2006 Bugti was buried in Dera Bugti, with his coffin sealed, next to the graves of his son and brother. His family, who wanted a public funeral in Quetta, did not attend the burial.^[12]

On 26 September 2010 Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, a senior Pakistan federal minister criticized and accused the army of killing Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti as well as the Pakistani politician, Benazir Bhutto. He later resigned when his political party summoned him and asked him to explain his comments.^[13]

Investigation and prosecution

On 11 July 2012, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court in Sibi, Balochistan issued arrest warrants for the former military ruler, Pervez Musharraf and several other high-ranking officials who were accused of involvement in the killing of Akbar Bugti.^[14] The other officials included the former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, former Governor of Balochistan Owais Ahmed Ghani, former Chief Minister of Balochistan Jam Mohammad Yousaf, former Provincial Home Minister Shoaib Nosherwani and former Deputy Commissioner Abdul Samad Lasi. All these were named suspects in the F.I.R. registered by police regarding the killing of Bugti in the military operation.^[14] Musharraf was formally arrested by a police team from Balochistan on 13 June 2013, however was later given bail due to his poor health conditions and ultimately due to non provision of evidence.^[15]

See also

• Ataullah Mengal
• Bugti
• Bugti militia
• Balochistan Liberation Army
• Talal Akbar Bugti
• Brahamdagh Khan Bugti
• Hyderabad tribunal

References

Notes

• 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

Further reading

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

External links

• Interview by Qurat ul ain Siddiqui
• Rediff Pakistan – Birth Till Death Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti

Video and audio

• 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
• An interview with Brahamdagh Bugti starting orcehstrated separatist movement against Pakistan
• General Musharraf talks to The Washington Post about his view of the rape victims