January 25, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 24, 1426

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KARACHI, Jan 24: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has called off its fact-finding mission to Balochistan because of reported refusal of representatives of Nawab Akbar Bugti to ensure security for its members. MQM chief Altaf Hussain and Dr Farooq Sattar, the party’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, put the onus for cancellation of the visit on the Bugtis in a statement issued from London during a news conference at Khursheed Memorial Hall on Tuesday.

The MQM chief said the mission comprising representatives of various political parties, non-governmental organizations and media had been constituted to assess the situation in the province.

However, he regretted that at the eleventh hour Nawab Bugti’s spokesman Shahid Bugti had adopted the stand that people of Balochistan were expressing displeasure over the visit.

The MQM chief said the opposition of the sardars of Dera Bugti to the visit was surprising because the MQM was striving for the welfare of the common man of Balochistan.

Details of the ‘sudden change’ in the stance of Shahid Bugti were given by Dr Sattar.

He claimed that two days ago, a grandson of Nawab Bugti had ended contacts with the MQM and when Mr Shahid Bugti was contacted on Monday he changed his stance and said that the Bugti tribe did not like the mission’s visit.

According to Dr Sattar, Shahid Bugti expressed respect for MQM’s sentiments but said the sardars of Dera Bugti were not in favour of the tour and were not prepared to extend any cooperation to the mission.

“Shahid Bugti also said that they were not in a position to provide any kind of security, so the Muttahida should cancel this tour and it would be in the interest of the MQM,” he said.

Dr Sattar said the Jamhoori Watan Party should be in a position to know why Shah Zain Bugti had been kept in dark about the situation in the territory.