January 4, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 3, 1426

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QUETTA, Jan 3: The Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) has blamed the recent clashes in Dera Bugti on the Frontier Corps’ violation of an agreement between security forces and tribesmen.

In a statement on Tuesday, JWP secretary general Agha Shahid Hasan Bugti said that Dera Bugti had remained peaceful from April to December 16, 2005, as both the tribesmen and Frontier Corps had abided by the accord which made it obligatory for militiamen and tribesmen to vacate their trenches in and around the town.

He maintained that on the morning of Dec 17 the militiamen had reoccupied trenches that they had vacated in April and established check-posts on roads at different places. Besides that, he said, security forces had taken up positions at the top of the surrounding mountains.

Mr Shahid accused the federal interior minister of “distorting the situation in Dera Bugti” and stated that party leader Nawab Akbar Bugti stood by his word till the last moment. He insisted that the tribesmen had taken up defensive positions only when the militiamen violated the accord.

On Dec 30, he said, the militiamen launched attacks on Dera Bugti town and different places of the district and the tribesmen acted only in self-defence.