QUETTA, June 19: The tension in Dera Bugti further mounted on Wednesday as the number of deployed Frontier Corps’ personnel reached over 50,000 in the area, reliable sources told Dawn.

The sources also expressed apprehension that the government might launch an operation in the area within 36 hours, as the Dera Bugti township and residence of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti remained under the siege of militiamen.

But official sources in the provincial capital clarified that the government had no intention to launch any operation against any tribal chief or particular person. Troops were sent for the protection of gas fields in the area, which were under attacks for the last three months, they added.

The Bugti tribal area is in turmoil for the last many months, as the gas installations, wells, reservoirs and pipeline in the area are under continuous rocket attacks from unidentified people.

Though the government and intelligence agencies have failed to fix the responsibility of the attacks, the former alleged that the Bugti tribesmen are involved in the activity. The government reacted very strongly when specific attacks were launched to disrupt the supply of natural gas to the whole country.

A row between the government and Bugti tribesmen had erupted when the later demanded the recruitment of local people in the gas companies started operations in their area. The government promised to honour the wishes of the tribesmen, . but failed to fulfil the commitments, some local people said.

The Pakistan Petroleum Limited and other companies had not only violated the promises, but also gave jobs to the Kalpar tribesmen instead, a sub-tribe of the Bugtis which had a feud with the major tribe, they said.

The Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) and Bugti Tribe Chief Nawab Akbar Bugti denied the government’s allegations saying that the gas reservoirs and installations were the biggest source of income for the local tribesmen. Thus, it was beyond imagination that they could destroy it.

JWP sources believed that it was beyond the capabilities of the illiterate tribesmen. They could not organize such specific and highly sophisticated attacks to disrupt the gas supply to the country. It could be an act of subversion on the patterns of the blasts in Karachi and attack on the church in Islamabad.

The federal government had not established any contact with Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti so far and on the other hand negotiation between Mr Bugti and Sardar Sher Ali Mazari had also not played any role in breaking the ice, the sources stated.

Recent developments may influence the political scene of Balochistan, as Nawab Bugti’s arch-political rivals are extending support to him.