QUETTA, March 19: The situation in Dera Bugti remained delicate on Saturday as a large number of government servants left their homes with families due to tension gripping the area following Thursday’s fierce clashes between Frontier Corps and Bugti tribesmen. “Some 70 to 80 families of government servants have left Dera Bugti in two days,” Raziq Bugti, the Balochistan government spokesman, said. He, however, added that the government employees had left the township as a precautionary measure and not under any threat. The families leaving the area were provided security by the law enforcement agencies up to Kashmoor, sources said. “Mostly, the employees belonging to other parts of Balochistan were leaving due to a tense stand-off between the two sides,” the sources said. According to reports, the District Coordination Officer of Dera Bugti, Samad Lasi, had claimed that Nawab Akbar Bugti had given an ultimatum to government employees to vacate the township by 3.30pm Saturday. But the latter denied issuing such a warning and said the government was spreading disinformation.

“This is part of government’s strategy,” Nawab Bugti remarked.

The provincial government’s spokesman, Raziq Bugti, also acknowledged that Nawab Bugti had not issued any ultimatum. The government employees left Dera Bugti as a precautionary measure, and not under any threat, he added.

Reports reaching here say that armed Bugti tribesmen and security forces retained their strategic positions. The FC had blocked all entry points of Dera Bugti and established its pickets there, with no stranger being allowed in. Troops reinforcement had also taken place.

On the other hand, tribesmen were sitting in their bunkers established on hilltops and around the fort of Nawab Bugti.

A delegation of opposition lawmakers and a federal minister could not visit Dera Bugti and Sui to assess the situation. The sources said the trip had to be cancelled for security reasons.

Reports reaching from Sui said that a large number of students and children staged a protest demonstration in the township against the Dera Bugti incident. They marched on the roads and shouted slogans against the government. They demanded withdrawal of forces from Dera Bugti.

Confirming that the situation in Dera Bugti was tense, Balochistan government spokesman Raziq Bugti said efforts were on to calm matters.

He told reporters in the evening that the provincial cabinet had decided to establish a broad-based peace committee comprising leaders of different political parties to ease the situation and resolve matters through dialogue.

“Some influential elders are making sincere efforts in the larger interest of the country,” he said and urged all political parties and members of civil society to come forward and play their part in this connection.

Replying to a question, he denied that army had been sent to Dera Bugti and said only FC men were present in the township.

He said both sides were observing a truce and no firing incident had taken place after the ceasefire.

Responding to another question, he said no case had been registered against anyone, including Nawab Akbar Bugti, and that the government had no such plans.

When asked how many employees and their families had left the tribal area, he put the figure at 500.