Zee Zee News : Pak Opposition groups call for new strike to protest Bugti killing

Pak Opposition groups call for new strike to protest Bugti killing

September 6, 2006

Islamabad -- An Opposition group has called for a general protest strike in a Balochistan today as anger mounts over the killing of a prominent tribal chieftain, an Opposition leader said yesterday.

Nawab Akbar Bugti died on August 26 when an unexplained blast crushed his remote cave hide-out during a gunbattle between security forces and tribal fighters.

Baloch solidarity, an alliance of four Opposition political parties, has called for businesses and public transport to shut down on Wednesday in protest in Bugti's impoverished home province, Balochistan, said coalition member Sardar Akhtar Mengal.

Bugti led a sometimes-violent campaign for a greater share of the wealth from resources like oil and gas extracted from the rugged, underdeveloped southwestern province.

“The rulers have martyred Nawab Akbar Bugti, and our protests against his martyrdom will continue,” said Mengal, leader of Balochistan National Party, a key member in the four-member Opposition alliance.

Many in Balochistan saw Bugti as a hero. The government has accused him of “terrorist activities” and human rights abuses, and insists it had no intention to kill him.

Authorities say they are still investigating the cause of the blast.

Bureau Report