January 27, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 26, 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

QUETTA, Jan 26: Dera Bugti District Nazim Mir Mohammad Kazim Bugti has said that there is no civil administration in the district and the Frontier Corps is running government affairs in the area.

Speaking at his first press conference after the outbreak of hostilities in Dera Bugti, the district nazim said that paramilitary forces kept him under detention when security forces launched an undeclared attack on the Dera Bugti town on Dec 18.

The nazim said that under the new local system, matters relating to the law and order fell under his purview but the Frontier Corps commandant was exercising extra-constitutional powers by administering civil affairs in the district.

He said that on Dec 18 when security forces shelled the Dera Bugti town there was no law and order problem. He said that he had been detained and stopped from going to his office and was freed the following day.

He accused the paramilitary forces of violating the agreement between Nawab Bugti and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and reoccupying trenches. Therefore, he said, tribesmen had no option but to take positions in areas around the town.

The district nazim held the Balochistan governor and chief minister responsible for the deteriorating situation in the district, for bypassing the district government and empowering the Frontier Corps to control the civil administration.

Mr Bugti said that he had written letters to the governor, chief minister and FC commander informing them of the interference by the paramilitary forces but they took no notice.

When asked who had provided heavy weapons to tribesmen, the district nazim said that rockets and mortars were openly sold in the market in the aftermath of the Afghan war. He said that rockets were kept by people even in Quetta and therefore, purchasing weapons was not a problem.

He denied existence of any terrorist camp in Dera Bugti and said that dubbing tribesmen as outlaws was a ploy to mislead the nation.

About the killing of six people in Bekar area in a landmine explosion, the nazim said that security forces had claimed the dismantling of outlaws’ camps and liberating the areas from fugitives. Therefore, how could saboteurs enter the controlled area and plant mines.

He said that the FC had laid mines for their defence and those mines were causing accidents.

The nazim said that according to his information, 75 civilians had been killed and more than 200 injured and more than 300 people had been arrested.

Mr Bugti said he was neither taken into confidence nor consulted regarding district government affairs and the FC commandant through the district coordination officer briefed media personnel on the situation in the district.