December 15, 2005 ☼ Foreign Affairs
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
Pakistan’s Balochistan province has continued to remain on the boil, amid reports of a ‘low-grade’ military operation by the Pakistan army against Baloch nationalists. Sardar Brahmad Khan Bugti, a grandson of the powerful Nawab Akbar Bugti has been held responsible for a recent bomb blast in Karachi. Foot-soldiers of the Balochistan Liberation Army have been arrested, but the Pakistani government risks a lot more than a major shoot-out if its officials dare to enter the Bugti estate to arrest Brahmad Khan. And Nawab Bugti has thrown his weight behind those who oppose the construction of the Kalabagh dam — a cause which Musharraf and Punjab support, but which is very unpopular in the rest of Pakistan’s provinces.
Gen Musharraf was greeted with explosions and rocket attacks when he visited the province this week to announce his plans for its development. He didn’t get hurt. His lesser generals were not so lucky.
A helicopter carrying the Frontier Corps Inspector General was attacked on Thursday, injuring the IG and his deputy. The officials were inspecting the area where rockets were launched when President Pervez Musharaf was visiting Kohlu. Local people said the helicopter was flying low when unidentified people attacked it with small arms. [DT]
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