QUETTA: Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti said on Tuesday that there were unconfirmed reports that the chief of the banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, had been killed during an operation by security forces.

Addressing a press conference here, along with Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani, the minister said that during recent search operations, personnel of intelligence agencies and Frontier Corps had unear­thed on two mountains communication systems which were being used by banned militant organisations.

At the end of the press conference, the minister said that he would like to share an unconfirmed report that Allah Nazar had been killed.

Mr Bugti said security forces had conducted several operations in Awaran over the past two months and there had been no report of Allah Nazar’s activities in the area. “This indicates that he is no more,” the minister told a questioner. But at the same time he stressed that “these reports have not been confirmed yet”.

Rumours about the killing of Allah Nazar started circulating in July when security forces launched in Mashkey a massive operation in which his brother, nephew and some leaders of his group were killed.

However, a spokesman for the BLF had rejected reports about the killing of Allah Nazar, saying that he was alive and heading the organisation.

Some circles have claimed that he has moved to Afghanistan.

But after the Sarfaraz Bugti’s claim at Tuesday’s press conference there was no immediate reaction from the BLF.

The home minister said the powerful communication systems had been found in Dalbandin in Chagai district. Seven suspected militants who were running the systems had been taken into custody.

He said the systems were using PTCL’s V-phone numbers and connected to 100 to 150 kilometres of areas inside Pakistan and across the border through a wireless system.

The minister claimed that PTCL V-phone numbers were used by banned organisation, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Al Qaeda, Jundullah and Baloch separatist organisations, for establishing contacts with their international handlers.

He said the communication stations had been under watch of intelligence agencies for some time and when they received information about presence of some suspects there they raided the area and arrested them.

He said mobile SIMs of different countries, including Afghanistan, India, Iran, United States, United Kingdom and European counties were found at the communication station.

“It was a powerful and big communication system station where hundreds of antennas were installed,” he said.

Answering a question, the minister said the government had continued its policy of reconciliation for the establishment of durable peace in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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