ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday that the authorities concerned had been directed to take earth-removing equipment to the mountainous area of Kohlu to recover the bodies of Nawab Akbar Bugti and militants killed in an operation on Saturday. The bodies, he said, would be handed over to heirs.

Addressing a news conference at the Prime Minister’s House, he said the Balochistan government had contacted relatives of Mr Bugti to take them to the site of the incident.

Answering a question, he said the government had no knowledge of the presence of Mr Bugti’s grandsons at the site of the operation and thus “neither their death nor survival could be confirmed”.

The prime minister said that political dialogue and development of Balochistan would go simultaneously and all measures would be taken to establish the writ of the government and maintain law and order.

Mr Aziz said that progress on Balochistan’s development projects had been reviewed on Saturday and added that out of 32,000 jobs planned for the province, 23,000 had been given so far.

He ruled out any political implication of Mr Bugti’s killing and said the government would continue to work for peace and stability in the province.

Accompanied by ruling Pakistan Muslim League president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Information Minster Muhammad Ali Durrani, the premier said the government wanted to resolve all issues through political process and the same approach had been adopted in case of Balochistan.

Chaudhry Shujaat asked the opposition not to try to exploit Nawab Bugti’s death for political gains. He chose not to comment when asked if Mr Bugti was a patriot or a fugitive.

He said it might take some time to retrieve the body of Mr Bugti as it was buried along with those of others under a huge mound of rock and earth.

When asked about the reason for destroying the cave where Mr Bugti was hiding, Prime Minister Aziz said that the place had not been bombed and planes had not been used in the operation. He said the incident took place when the surveying helicopters were hit from the ground and added that until then no one knew about the presence of Mr Bugti there.