Baloch diaspora pays rich tributes to Akbar Bugti

LONDON: The Baloch Diaspora has paid rich tributes to legendary assassinated leader Nawab Akbar Bugti who was killed in a military action in the mountains of Dera Bugti district on August 26, 2006.
Balochistan Republican Party (BRP) organised a seminar on the occasion of sixth anniversary of Nawab Bugti at the University College, London which was attended by Baloch activists from across the United Kingdom.
The speakers paid rich tributes to Nawab Bugti and emphasised the need of unity among Baloch parties to gain what they called “sovereignty” as espoused by Nawab Bugti in his life. They said Nawab Bugti sacrificed his life for the better future of Balochistan and it was due to his sacrifice that Baloch took inspiration from his life and struggle.
The speakers said that it became clear before his killing that he only wanted to fight for the rights of Balochistan and didn’t want to compromise with the military junta. They said Nawab Bugti had advised Brahumdagh Bugti, his grandson who lives in Switzerland on political asylum, and Balach Marri, Nawab Khair Beksh Marri’s son, who was killed in a missile attack, to continue the “struggle for liberation till victory”.
Brahumdagh Bugti addressed the gathering via telephone and thanked the participants of the meeting for attending the Nawab Bugti Memorial Day. He said the best way to pay tributes to Nawab Bugti was to complete his mission at all costs and not be distracted. He said Nawab Bugti wanted to unite the Baloch parties and now it was the responsibility of all the Baloch people to fulfill his dream of unity of the Baloch political factions. He said division amongst Baloch parties was the biggest handicap and all the parties must unite for the ideology given by Nawab Bugti.
Baloch intellectual Dr Naseer Dashti called Nawab Bugti “one of the greatest heroes of Baloch national struggle” as he abandoned the life of comfort and showed love for his people and for the ‘cherished’ Baloch values.
“The Baloch political activists must not only analyse the weaknesses and strengths but it is also imperative to identify those among the Baloch ranks and files who are betraying their nation by raising hypocritical slogans, breeding seeds of cowardliness and submission,” Dr Naseer said.
Mansoor Baloch, BRP’s UK leader who organised the event, said Balochistan was pushed into a frightening crisis with the killing of Nawab Bugti and “the short-sighted leadership in Islamabad and Rawalpindi thought that Baloch would be subdued with Nawab Bugti’s killing but time had proved how false their vision was and how they remained hypocritical and bankrupt”.
He drew attention towards the military operation particularly in Bugti and Marri areas and said that the houses of ordinary people had been turned into gulags where Baloch youth were being persecuted. He said that the level of resentment was running high in all layers of the society but the ruthless policies of the state would fail.
Samad Baloch alleged that since the start of the military operation more than 10,000 people had been killed and Pakistani government was not allowing independent observes in the area for fear of exposure.