30 April 2005	Saturday	20 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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KARACHI, April 29: Chief of Jamhoori Watan Party Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti has said that the Baloch would never give up their struggle till they achieve their rights, including proprietary rights on their resources and get full provincial autonomy.

Nawab Bugti was addressing journalists at the Karachi Press Club by phone on Friday afternoon. Before responding to journalists’ questions, the JWP chief gave his version of the Dera Bugti incident of March 17. He alleged that it was an attempt to eliminate him by use of brute force in order to deter others from waging struggle for their rights.

Terming the incident a “turning point” in the history of the Baloch struggle for rights, he said that over 60 Bugtis had been killed and over 130 others injured by indiscriminate bombing and firing from helicopter gunships.

Nawab Bugti said those killed in the incident were “our heroes”.

The JWP chief said that the operation had been launched suddenly while government spokesmen kept saying that there would be no army action in Balochistan.

Referring to his talks with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Syed, he said that the talks were not about the whole issue of Balochistan but only about the situation prevailing in Dera Bugti and Sui. He said he could not hold negotiations on all the grievances of Balochistan because he was neither elected nor selected nor had he any mandate for such talks.

Except for the press release issued by Mushahid Hussain, “with whose contents we had agreed” no issue had been resolved nor any agreement reached, he said.

He said the struggle for rights had been going on in Balochistan for 57 years. After the Sui incident, a parliamentary committee was formed to find a solution to the Balochistan problem. Later, two sub-committees were formed and asked to submit their reports within 90 days but so far no report was submitted.

He said the talks on Balochistan’s rights had been discontinued for unknown reasons. However, he said, the people of Balochistan were quite clear that the present government, like other governments in the past, was not sincere in giving rights to Balochistan. Claims were made but the situation on the ground remained unchanged, he added.

He said that every Baloch wanted development but the government should ask the Baloch what sort of development they wanted.

Nawab Bugti also recalled the incident of Dr Shazia Khalid and alleged that instead of providing justice, she was given $100,000 and externed from the country.

Replying to a question, Nawab Bugti said that since Thursday night there had been no firing in the Bugti area as the Frontier Constabulary had withdrawn from its new positions.