QUETTA – House-arrest of provincial president of Jamhoori Watan Party Shahzain Bugti continued for the third consecutive day on Sunday to prevent him from initiating his long march. Heavy contingent of police was deployed at the residence of Shahzain Bugti on Friday to block the long march towards Dera Bugti.
Home Department Government of Balochistan had restricted the movement of Shahzain Bugti and his brother Gohram Bugti under 5 MPO for ninety days. Shahzain and his brother have decided to file a petition in the Balochistan High Court against imposition of ban on their movement. Provincial Home Minister Mir Zafarullah Zehri on Sunday visited Shahzain Bugti and his brother Goharam Bugti probably to persuade them to drop their plan of long march.
Following the meeting, the home minister told reporters that he had visited Bugti House in his personal capacity not as a provincial minister and assured that all issues will be settled amicably. Talking to reporters after the meeting with provincial home minister, Shahzain Bugti said the home minister had confessed that the provincial government was under tremendous pressure from establishment to prevent him and his family from going to Dera Bugti.
He said that provincial and federal governments wanted that Dera Bugti should remain a no go area for Nawab Bugti’s family. He said that 150,000 tribesmen had been rendered homeless and were facing difficulties because of the military operation conducted by former dictator Pervez Musharraf. He said that barring him and his family members from going to their homes was illegal and unconstitutional.