DERA BUGTI, Sept 24: Jamhoori Watan Party leader Nawab Akbar Bugti has alleged that rulers have geared up the pace of preparations for launching another operation in Dera Bugti. Talking to journalists here on Saturday, he said that four gas fields were located in his area and added: “We the Baloch consider them our national wealth but the government wants full control over them. Therefore, construction work on a garrison is underway in Sui and a large quantity of weapons is being stored in the Bugti area. Even military experts have gathered in the area.”

On the Gwadar issue, Mr Bugti said that ‘business was going on’ in the name of mega projects in Gwadar.

Elaborating, he said: “A government delegation asked us last year about it and later Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain sent a booklet to me saying that the detailed plan of the Gwadar project is available in it. But the booklet was full of information on cement, crush and construction-related matters and had no mention on politics, economy or demography of Gwadar.” Later, he added, the government told them that Gwadar would come under the control of the federal government and an oil refinery would also be built there.

The JWP leader said that the government was now gradually making it clear that the workers for Gwadar would be ‘imported’.

“The reservations expressed by us on the Gwadar project are now proving to be true,” he said.

He alleged that the government had ‘bargained’ with multinational companies not only over Gwadar but had entered into deals with them over major parts of coastal and interior areas of Mekran region also.

“This state of affairs is posing a serious threat to Baloch traditions and culture and survival of the Baloch people,” he said. “We fear that we may lose our national identity. Every thing is being snatched from us, including our land and resources. The project of settlement of aliens on Balochistan soil has materialized.”

He claimed that forces had besieged a major part of Mekran since long and helicopters and aeroplanes were hovering over the area with an intention to launch an operation there also.—Online