Balochistan's Freedom Fighter Martyred

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Musharraf weighs political options in Balochistan</b>
Posted online: Monday, September 04, 2006 at 0000 hrs Print Email
Islamabad, September 3 akistan President Pervez Musharraf has discussed with his confidants initiatives to end the crisis in Balochistan following Nawab Akbar Bugti’s death in an army raid. Nationalist parties today rallied in the restive southwest province to protest the killing of the rebel leader.

<b>Musharraf, who reportedly got an endorsement for his strategy in Balochistan at the Corps Commanders’ meeting on Friday, with top ruling PML-Q politicians Shujaat Hussain and other officials to discuss a package of initiatives to mollify the public resentment in the province</b>.

Earlier, four former generals also criticised Musharraf for the way the government handled the crisis. With Baloch nationalist leaders publicly expressing resentment that their survival lies in separation from Pakistan and the time has come for a “decisive battle,” said former Army chief Aslam Beg.

“It was an ill-conceived idea and badly-handled operation to capture an 80-year-old man...Hiding in a cave. The second mistake was the task to capture Bugti was given to Pakistan Army, instead of other law-enforcement agencies, despite the knowledge that he would die fighting instead of surrendering to military forces,” he was quoted by Daily Times.

<b>Beg’s comments were endorsed by two former chiefs of ISI, Gen Assad Durani, Gen Hamid Gul and retired Lt Gen Talat Masood.</b>

Bugti’s son questions Nawab’s belongings

<b>Islamabad: After the burial of Nawab Akbar Bugti by Pakistani authorities, his son, Jamil said a wrist watch, ring and glasses displayed by the officials as belongings of the slain rebel chief were not that of his father’s, prompting government to offer to conduct a DNA test. “We can’t believe that the body buried in Dera Bugti was that of my father,”</b> he added

Abdul Samad Lasi, District Coordination Officer of Dera Bugti, claimed they were recovered from Bugti’s body. —PTI
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