QUETTA, July 22: Balochistan police have blamed Bugti tribesmen led by the tribe’s chief Nawab Akbar Bugti for kidnapping of policemen from Nasirabad area in July last year and killing one of them.

Provincial police chief Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqub said at a press conference here on Saturday that the three kidnapped policemen had been returned a few days back after surrender of armed tribesmen loyal to Nawab Bugti while Sub-Inspector Asghar Ali had been killed on the orders of the tribal chief.

He said the policemen were on their way to a checkpoint in Chattar area for distribution of salary in July 2005 when armed men snatched salary of police employees and kidnapped them.

When another police contingent chased them they killed a police constable and destroyed two official vehicles by firing rockets, he said.

The government approached Nawab Bugti through different people, including Dr Hayee Baloch, Mir Sher Ali Mazari, Elahi Bakhsh Soomro and Mir Irshad Ali Goli, for the release of the police officials but he demanded release of Bugti tribesmen arrested in Quetta and Sibi, Mr Yaqub said. “The government refused to release Sardar Bugti’s men as they had been arrested for their involvement in serious subversive activities,” he said.

He said the kidnapped officials were kept in a hilly area where tribesmen, on the orders of Nawab Bugti, killed the sub-inspector.

He said the decomposed body was thrown away by the tribesmen many days later.

The inspector-general of police urged human rights organisations to take notice of kidnapping and killing of police officials by Bugti tribesmen.

Head Constable Ghulam Anwar, who was present in the press conference with two other constables who had returned after a year-long captivity, told newsmen that armed Bugti tribesmen kept them in a cave in the hilly area of Sangsilla, where they were presented before Nawab Bugti, who asked his people to kill them.

He said that on March 30, Sub-Inspector Ali was killed before them and they were told that their turn would come later.

He said Nawabzada Baramdagh Bugti, Tabish Bugti and many other commanders of armed tribesmen visited the place where they had been kept.

He said the policemen were tortured during captivity.

He said that on July 14 he and Constables Mohammad Rafiq and Saien Dina were informed by the armed men that they were free.