Re: Thousands of Balochi tribesmen exiled by Nawab Bugti return to Balochistan
Kalpars back Musharraf’s policies in Balochistan
A large number of newly resettled Kalpar tribesmen staged a peace rally in Sui Tehsil of the Dera Bugti district in support of the ongoing development projects in Balochistan. The rally was led by Zia-ur-Rahman Kalpar, grandson of Wadera Khan Muhammad Kalpar Bugti. Kalpar is a clan of the Bugti tribe.
The participants first assembled at the Sui bazaar and from there they arrived at the Bugti bazaar after marching through Banwani Colony, Muhammad Colony, Bugra Colony, the Sui gas field and Bugti Colony. The peace marchers carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans against “anti-development” elements. They were also holding Pakistani flags and chanting the slogan “long live Pakistan”. Addressing the rally, Zia-ur-Rahman Kalpar thanked the government for the restoration of law and order and the writ of the law in Dera Bugti as well as for “setting his tribesmen free from forced exile”. He said his tribesmen were punished only because they raised their voice in democratic ways and wanted to compete “selected candidates”, but “some tribal heads disliked the ways and wanted that their selected candidates should returned unopposed in the elections in the district”. He alleged that his clansmen had been kept in a private jail and many, including Amanullah Bugti and Ameer Hamza, had been killed.
He said the Kalpars were ousted from Sui in 1993 and 1997, who took shelter in different parts of Sindh and the Punjab, including Multan, Shaikupura, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Panno Aqil, Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. He said his people were pleased on their return and thanked President Gen Pervez Musharraf for restoring the possession of their ancestral land to them. More than 4,000 Kalpars have returned and resettled in Sui and about 3,000 are still to return from different places of the Punjab and Sindh in next phases, he said, adding that every day two to five families are returning to the town. Addressing the rally, Bashrullah Khan Kalpar, Muhammad Rahim Bugti, Muhammad Bakhsh Bugti, Zia Khan Kalpar and others slammed “atrocities” in the area. They strongly criticised the attacks on gas installations and said: “The future of our sons is linked to these installations.” They also criticised the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) for their “partial” attitude and for “ignoring their human and democratic rights”. They demanded of the HRCP and the ARD to visit their area and observe the Kalpars’ situation, who they said were subjected to atrocities. The speakers termed the Sui cantonment a great gift for the people of the area, hoping that that with its completion, more opportunities would be available to the people. They expressed their full support to the policies of President Musharraf.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/feb2006-daily/27-02-2006/national/n1.htm