Akbar Bugti | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bugti in 1970s | |
| 6thChief Minister of Balochistan | |
| In office 4 February 1989 – 6 August 1990 | |
| Governor | Muhammad Musa Khan |
| Chief Minister | Ghulam Khan Korejo |
| Preceded by | Khuda Bakhsh Marri(acting) |
| Succeeded by | Taj Muhammad Jamali |
| 4thGovernor of Balochistan | |
| In office 15 February 1973 – 22 November 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo |
| Succeeded by | Ahmad Yar Ahmedzai |
| Minister of State for Defence | |
| In office 19 December 1957 – 8 April 1958 | |
| President | Iskander Mirza |
| Prime Minister | Feroz Khan Noon |
| 19th Tumandar of theBugti Tribe | |
| Preceded by | Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti |
| Succeeded by | Nawab Aali Khan Bugti |
| Leader ofJamhoori Wattan Party | |
| In office 1989–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Talal Akbar Bugti |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1926-07-12)12 July 1926 Dera Bugti,Balochistan,British India |
| Died | 26 August 2006(2006-08-26) (aged 80) Kohlu,Balochistan,Pakistan |
| Political party | Jamhoori Watan Party |
| Spouse | 3 wives |
| Children | Talal Akbar Bugti Salal Bugti |
| Relatives | Shahbaz Khan Bugti (grandfather) Brahumdagh Bugti (grandson) Shahzain Bugti (grandson) Gohram Bugti (grandson) |
| Residence(s) | Dera Bugti,Balochistan |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Tumandar ofBugti Tribe, politician |
Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti (Balochi,Urdu:نواب اکبر شہباز خان بُگٹی; 12 July 1926 – 26 August 2006) was a Pakistani politician and theTumandar (head) of theBugti tribe ofBaloch people who served as the Minister of State for Interior and Governor ofBalochistan Province in Pakistan.[1] He also became minister of state for defence in the cabinet ofFeroz Khan Noon. Earlier, he had also served as the Minister of State for Interior.[2]
He was involved in a struggle, at times armed, for greater autonomy for Balochistan. The government ofPakistan accused him of keeping a private militia and leading a guerrilla war against the state. On 26 August 2006 Bugti was killed when his hide-out cave, located inKohlu, about 150 miles east ofQuetta, collapsed.
Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti was born on 12 July 1926 inDera Bugti (in present-dayBalochistan). He was the son of the chief of his tribe, Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti, and grandson of SirShahbaz Khan Bugti. He received his early education fromKarachi Grammar School and later fromAitchison College after his father's death, later on he attended Oxford University. Being the son of the tribe's chief, he became thetumandar (chief) of his tribe after his father. Nawab Akbar Bugti had three wives and thirteen children (6 sons and 7 daughters) altogether.
From his first wife: Nawabzada Saleem Bugti, Talal Bugti, Rehan Bugti and Salal Bugti. None of them are alive today. Nawabzada Salal Bugti was murdered in a shootout in Quetta by the rival Bugti Kalpar sub clan in June 1996.[3] From Nawab Akbar Bugti's second wife: Jamil Bugti. And from Nawab Akbar Bugti's third wife: Shahzwar Bugti. Jamil Bugti and Shahzwar Bugti are the surviving sons of Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Akbar Bugti had five daughters from his first wife: Durr-e-Shahwar (deceased), Nilofer, Nazli (deceased), Durdana and Zareen. And two from his second wife: Shahnaz Marri (wife of Nawab Khair Bux Marri's relative, Humayun Marri) and Farah Naz Bugti (wife of Bivragh Bugti, the son of Nawabzada Ahmad Nawaz Bugti who was the brother of Nawab Akbar Bugti), who are the sisters of Jamil Bugti.
The Bugti grandchildren consist of Nawab Mohammad Mir Aali Bugti (the current Nawab of Bugti Tribe), Shaheed Mohammad Mir Zong Bugti, Shaheed Mohammad Mir Taleh Bugti, Mohammad Mir Zamran Bugti Chairman of P.J.W.P and Mohammad Mir Kohmir Bugti Vice Chairman of P.J.W.P (sons of Late Nawabzada Saleem Akbar Khan Bugti), Mir Brahamdagh and his two sisters (son and daughters of Rehan Bugti), Mir Shahzain President of J.W.P, Mir Gohram and Mir Chakar (sons of Talal Bugti). And two grand daughters (daughters of Salal Akbar Bugti).
Akbar Bugti was never in the forefront of Baloch nationalism, when compared to other Baloch leaders like Khair Bux Marri or Ataullah Mengal. He remained primarily a Bugti, fighting for his own tribe, and in particular his sub tribe.[4]
In 2005, Bugti presented a 15-point agenda to the Pakistan government. Their stated demands included greater control of the province's resources and a moratorium on the construction of military bases. It also included a near 50% share of all the money used in the development of the province. In the meantime, attacks against the Pakistan Army also increased in the area, including a 2005 attack on a helicopter, in which the head of Pakistan'sFrontier Corps and his deputy were injured.[5]
In March 2006, a crowded bus carrying a wedding party hit an anti-tank mine in Dera Bugti. The blast resulted in the death of 28 people, mostly women and children, and injured 7 others. Most of the victims belonged to Masoori Bugti tribe which had revolted against Akbar Bugti's rule.[6] Akbar Bugti claimed responsibility for the attack on the bus. Abdul Samad Lasi, a district chief, said that militants under the command of Akbar Bugti had planted hundreds of mines on dirt roads in various parts of Dera Bugti. The aim of planting such mines was to target the security forces in the area. Furthermore, he added that the Pakistani security forces had neutralized many of these landmines planted in the area.[7]
On 26 August 2006, Akbar Bugti was killed after the collapse of the cave in which he was hiding.[8]
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, during a press conference, gave details regarding the death of Akbar Bugti. The Director General said that the soldiers were rushed to the nine-foot-wide mouth of the L-shape cave after one of the two guides hired to help locate Nawab Akbar Bugti in the Kohlu area had signaled that 'he was inside' the cave. The guides belonged toBugti tribe. The Director General stated that the soldiers had gone into the cave "to negotiate with Akbar Bugti". The soldiers were ordered to apprehend Akbar Bugti, and not harm or kill him. Once the soldiers had entered the cave, a "blast of undetermined origin" took place. The blast brought down the cave, killing all occupants in the process. The Director General said that no fighting or use of explosives preceded the "mysterious" blast which resulted in its collapse.[9] Moreover, Director General also said that around 100 millionRupees and $96,000 cash, two satellite phones, documents, eight AK-47 rifles and some rockets were found in the rubble of the cave.[9]
Similarly, some analysts also believe that no official orders were given to kill Akbar Bugti. As Akbar Bugti was politically isolated because of the decision of Bugti tribesmen during aJirga inDera Bugti. The Jirga of Bugti tribesmen had declared an end to theSardari (feudal) system and proclaimed that Akbar Bugti was no longer their leader. Hence, it was not logical to launch a direct military operation to kill the ailing old Akbar Bugti.[10]
However, according to some news reports, the cave collapsed because of the crossfire between the soldiers and the militants. As a result, 21 soldiers and 60 militants along with Akbar Bugti were killed.[11][12]
Later on, Pakistan military took media teams to the cave where Akbar Bugti was killed.[13][14] Pakistan army engineers cleared the rubble of the cave to retrieve the bodies of Akbar Bugti and others who were killed inside the cave.[13] On 31 August 2006, the body of Akbar Bugti was found crushed under a boulder.[15] He was identified by his glasses and Rolex wristwatch which he was known to wear. His glasses, walking stick and Rolex wristwatch were presented to the journalists.[16]
The Chairman of the Baloch Youth Council (London), Waja Mir Hazar Khan Baloch, said thatBalach Marri was behind the murder of Akbar Bugti.[17] Hazar Khan said that he heard this accusation fromBrahamdagh Bugti and that Brahamdagh Bugti told him that the cave in which Akbar Bugti was hiding, came down due to blast by remote control and Balach Marri was standing just outside the cave at that time.[17][18] Balach Marri was the head ofBaloch Liberation Army (BLA) at that time.He was one of the best persons after nawab Akbar Bugti (late).
On 1 September 2006 Bugti was buried inDera Bugti, with his coffin sealed, next to the graves of his son and brother. His family, who wanted a public funeral inQuetta, did not attend the burial.[19]Some of family members of Akbar Bugti and people from Bugti tribe think that the dead-body buried inDera Bugti was not that of Akbar Bugti.[20]
On 26 September 2010Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, a senior Pakistan federal minister, criticized and accused the army of killing Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti as well as the Pakistani politician,Benazir Bhutto. He later resigned when his political party summoned him and asked him to explain his comments.[21]
On 11 July 2012, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court inSibi, Balochistan, issued arrest warrants for the former military ruler,Pervez Musharraf and several other high-ranking officials who were accused of involvement in the killing of Akbar Bugti.[22] The other officials included the former Prime MinisterShaukat Aziz, former Interior MinisterAftab Ahmad Sherpao, former Governor of BalochistanOwais Ahmed Ghani, former Chief Minister of BalochistanJam Mohammad Yousaf, former Provincial Home Minister Shoaib Nosherwani, and former Deputy Commissioner Abdul Samad Lasi. All these were named suspects in the F.I.R. registered by police regarding the killing of Bugti in the military operation.[22] Musharraf was formally arrested by a police team from Balochistan on 13 June 2013, however was later granted bail due to his poor health and ultimately due to non-provision of evidence.[23]
Some analysts doubt Bugti's killing would have been sanctioned as a matter of policy. A few days earlier, the Government had managed to stage-manage a large jirga, or gathering, of Bugti tribesmen in Dera Bugti. The jirga had declared an end to the sardari (feudal) system, thereby making the laws of Pakistan applicable to their tribal areas, and proclaimed that Bugti was no longer their leader..... However, the fact that such an attempt had been made to politically isolate Bugti, makes the launch of a direct military action to kill the ailing old sardar, less understandable logically.
| Preceded by NawabShahbaz Khan Bugti Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti | Tumandar (Commander) ofBugti Tribe | Succeeded by NawabBrahumdagh Bugti |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Balochistan 1973–1974 | Succeeded by Ahmad Yar Khan |
| Preceded by Khuda Bux Marri | Chief Minister of Balochistan 1989–1990 | Succeeded by Mir Humayun Khan Marri |
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| National | |
