Executive Summary

At a time when the federal government announced 2012 as the year of Balochistan, the violence in Balochistan continues to spill out of control, rendering the start of year very tragic for the prospects of peace in the province. The killing of 15 Frontier Corps (FC) personnel at check posts near the Margat coal mine by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on February 1 marked the week. In sum, 24 people perished in different episodes of violence across the province.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik termed the killing of Balochistan lawmaker Domki wife and daughter, a conspiracy against the county and to disrupt the peace efforts in Balochistan.

PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain denied any involvement of his party in the killing of Baloch tribal chief Nawab AkbarBugti. He called for assuaging the long held grievances of the Balochis.

Week in Review

a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversion and Abduction

• In November 2011 a boat bound for Australia capsized near the island of Java, Indonesia and until today only onebody of Syed Kefyat Hussain, 20, has been brought to Quetta where he was buried on January 30. The remaining people are stillmissing and all of them belong to the persecuted Hazara community of Quetta. Faisal Naeem, assistance director for reliefactivities at Balochistan provincial disaster management authority, said that most bodies are mutilated and beyondrecognition. He also said that Balochistan government is in contact with Pakistan ambassador in Indonesia for the recovery ofremaining dead bodies.[1]
• The Balochistan Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on February 1 condemning the killing of lawmakerNawabzada Bakhtiar Khan Domki wife and daughter and demanded the provincial government to ask his Sindh counterpart toapprehend the culprits behind the killings, rather than calling it an incident of target killing or tribal feud. In what appears to bea politically-motivated act of terrorism, the wife, daughter and a driver of the sitting MPA from Balochistan were gunned downin the wee hours on Tuesday morning near the Gizri Bridge in Clifton. But Karachi Additional Inspector General (AIG) AkhtarHussain Gorchani said the killings appeared to be the result of ¿family enmity–. A complete shutter-down was observed in Sibi,Shoran, Dhaddar, Mach Dera Allahyar, Usta Mohammad, Bakhtiarabad, Lehri, Sohbatpur, Nasirabad and Ghandawa to protestthe killings of the granddaughter and great granddaughter of Nawab Akbar Bugti.[2]
• According to security officials, about two dozen gunmen equipped with light and heavy weapons attacked fourFrontier Corps (FC) check posts in Margut, about 60 kilometers east of Quetta, and killed 15 soldiers while 12 others wereinjured in clashes, which lasted for five hours on February 1. The soldiers had responsibility for guarding coal mines. BalochLiberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.[3]
• Unidentified gunmen ambushed a car in Mashkil area of Quetta on February 2 and killed three people, accordingto media reports. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.[4]
• A complete shutter- down strike call given by the Baloch Republican Party (BRP) was observed on February 2 and 3 to condemn the killings of Baloch Republican Party chief Brahamdagh Bugti niece and sister in Karachi.The call was fully supported by nationalist parties, including the National Party.[5]
• Interior Minister Rehman Malik on February 3 told the Senate that the murder of wife and daughter of BalochistanMPA Mir Bakhtiar Domki was a conspiracy against the country. He said that it was an attempt to sabotage peace process andadded: ‘Whenever we head towards positive development in Balochistan such things start happening.’[6]
• Unknown people attacked the residence of a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deputy director with an improvisedexplosive device (IED) on Mano Jan Road in Quetta on Friday morning. However, no casualty was reported. No group has takenresponsibility for the incident.[7]
• Unidentified assailants shot dead tribal elder and Khuzdar Traders Union former President Muhammad RamzanZehri and injured his companion Ahmed Khan in Kanak area of Khuzdar district on February 3.[8]
• Elahi Baksh and his eight-year-old daughter were killed after the roof of their mud house collapsed due to heavyrainfall in the Surab area of Kalat on Saturday, February 4. Two people were also injured in the incident.[9]
• Two civilians were killed and four others, including a TV cameraman, were injured when security forces openedfire on protesters in Sibi district on February 4. According to reports, the incident took place when scores of people blocked theNational Highway near the bridge over River Nari in Sibi during the wheel-jam strike called by Baloch Republican Party (BRP)condemning the deaths of granddaughter and great granddaughter of Nawab Akbar Bugti.[10]

b) Political Front

Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-i-Azam (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on January 30 that his party helped thePakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to form a coalition government in Balochistan at the request of former military ruler Gen (Retd.)Parvez Musharraf. He denied that his party was not involved in the killing of Baloch tribal chief Nawab Akbar Bugti. He addedthat Bugti always trusted him. Meanwhile, PML-Q convened a meeting of PML-Q parliamentary party in the BalochistanAssembly to finalize the party nominees for the upcoming Senate election. PML-Q chief assured the meeting that they will notnominate imported candidates or businessmen and the candidates will bepicked up from Balochistan.[11]

Against the backdrop of threats by the Baloch Student Organisation (BSO-Mohyuddin) to suspend transmission of privatetelevision channels across the province to protest ¿failure to properly highlight the plight of the people–, cable operators havesuspended service in Balochistan. Babrak, president of a cable operators association told media: ‘We suspended transmissionbecause our lives are in danger.’[12]

[1] Indonesia boat capsize: Two months later, only one body brought to Quetta¿, athttp://tribune.com.pk/story/329366/indonesia-boat-capsize-two-months-later-only-one-body-brought-to-quetta/

[2] Balochistan Assembly: Sindh asked to probe Domki family killings–, athttp://tribune.com.pk/story/330164/balochistan-assembly-sindh-asked-to-probe-domki-family-killings/

[3] 11 soldiers killed in Balochistan: Officials–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/330293/11-soldiers-killed-in-quetta-attacks-officials/

[4] Three people killed in Quetta firing incident–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/330888/three-people-killed-in-firing-incident-in-quetta/

[5] Karachi killings: Balochistan goes on strike in condemnation–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/330973/karachi-killings-balochistan-goes-on-strike-in-condemnation/

[6] Murder of Mir Bakhtiar Domki’s wife, daughter a conspiracy: Malik¿, athttp://tribune.com.pk/story/331376/murder-of-mir-bakhtiar-domkis-wife-daughter-a-conspiracy-malik/

[7] FIA official house attacked in Quetta–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/331389/fia-officials-house-attacked-in-quetta/

[8] Four persons killed in separate incidents of violence in Balochistan–,at http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/detailed_news3.asp? date3=2012%2F2%2F3&image2.x=0&image2.y=0#1

[9] Two killed in Kalat roof collapse–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/331861/two-killed-in-kalat-roof-collapse/

[10] Strike in Balochistan: Two killed, four injured near Sibi–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/331859/two-killed-four-injured-near-sibi/

[11] Formation of Balochistan govt: PML-Q aided PPP on Musharraf advice, says Shujaat¿, athttp://tribune.com.pk/story/329193/formation-of-balochistan-govt-pml-q-aided-ppp-on-musharrafs-advice-shujaat/

[12] In protest: All cable news channels off air in parts of Balochistan–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/330376/all-news-channels-off-air-in-parts-of-balochistan/