QUETTA, June 23: The Jamhoori Watan Party chief, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, has said the situation at Dera Bugti has not changed and the township is still under the siege of Frontier Corps personnel.

Talking to a group of journalists here from Dera Bugti by telephone, the veteran politician said the government had not established any contact either with him or his party to hold negotiations.

“No negotiations have so far been held to defuse the situation,” he said, adding that all such reports in this regard were baseless and a part of a disinformation campaign launched by the government.

“A war-like situation created by the government in Dera Bugti is continuing,” Nawab Bugti said, adding that the government was increasing number of troops and deploying tanks and 55mm guns in the area.

He said that all roads linking Dera Bugti with the rest of the country had been blocked, as the FC men were not allowing people to enter the area.

The JWP chief said that by blocking road links, the government wanted to create shortage of food, medicines and other necessary items to make people suffer. He said power, water and gas supply had not been restored while telephone service to the area had also remained suspended.