Against the backdrop of a deadly week, a rather tense calm prevailed in Balochistan during the week. There was no major incident of violence, however one act of dramatic abduction took place when an American national of Pakistani origin and his nephew were kidnapped and then released afterwards by unidentified abductors on Qambarani Road in Quetta on Monday, September 12.
Government in Balochistan sought four weeks from Balochistan High Court to get an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf and other nominated accused in the killing of former Chief Minister and governor Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Bugti.
A time where major parts of the country, especially Sindh province, are heavily affected by rain and flood, Balochistan is reportedly facing severe shortage of drinking and irrigation water. Hamid Latif Rana, the managing director at Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) said, earlier on, water level below ground was at a depth of 40 to 100 feet, which is now available, much deeper as compared the previous level.
Week in Review
a) Acts of Terrorism/Subversions and Abductions
In a dramatic abduction episode, an American national of Pakistani origin and his nephew were first kidnapped and later on released by unidentified abductors on Qambarani Road in Quetta on Monday, September 12 afternoon. Police Superintendent Malik Arshad revealed that Zahid Hussain, a 33-year-old American national and his nephew Mubashar, a Pakistani national who is aresident of Rawalpindi, went to the Customs– House Quetta, to pay duty of an unpaid duty vehicle. A group of armed men intercepted them on Qambarani Road and after keeping them for 45 minutes in their custody, the abductors set them free.[1]
b) Political Front
Balochistan government on Wednesday, September 14 sought four weeks time from the Balochistan High Court to get an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf and other nominated accused in Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case. Deputy attorney general said arrest warrants for the accused have not yet been submitted, therefore the interior ministry cannot request the Interpol for issuing ¿red warrants– for former President Musharraf and other accused, residing outside the country.[2]
c) Economic Front
As a result of worst drought in Balochistan which badly affected the area between 1995 and 2005; there are reports of drying up of all ground wells, which were among the crucial source of water supply for irrigation as well as domestic use. ‘Earlier, water was available at a depth of 40 to 100 feet, but these wells now reach 1,000 feet down,’ said Hamid Latif Rana, the managing director at Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). At the present rate, level of ground water in Balochistan will continue diminishing by five to ten feet annually and this trend, fear officials, could threaten people of the land.[3]
d) Natural Calamity
The government has not yet established a single relief camp for flood victims in Balochistan, where hundreds of villages were washed away last month. According to reports, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has not sent any team to help out flood-affected people in Balochistan, said a senior official of the authority, Brig Sajjad Naeem on Friday, September 16. ‘We are focusing on Sindh, because we have limited resources to deal with after effects of a natural disaster,’ said Brig. Sajjad while briefing senators who met him on Thursday to chalk out a strategy for providing relief to flood victims across the country.[4]
e) Health Issues
Four patients were admitted to an isolated ward at the Fatima Jinnah Hospital (FJH) in Quetta on Friday on suspicion of contracting the Congo Virus. The patients included a six-year-old Afghan national, Izathullah, a medical technician at FJH and a man from Kuchlak. Another patient Dr Ayaz Mandokhail, a senior surgeon, was also shifted to Karachi as he was suffering from high fever. Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Aadam Khan Nasir the head of the isolation ward at FJH said there was no confirm case of Congo Virus in Quetta as yet; however, they had sent the samples of the three patients to Islamabad to determine whether they were suffering from the virus. ‘The three patients tested positive for malaria and were bleeding, thus, samples were sent for carrying out more tests for the Congo Virus,’ said Dr Khan.[5]
[1] US citizen kidnapped, released within 1 hour–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/250693/us-nationals-kidnapped-from-quetta/
[2] Bugti murder case: Balochistan govt seeks arrest warrant for Musharraf–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/251842/bugti-murder-case-balochistan-govt-seeks-arrest-warrant-for-musharraf/
[3] Water woes ¶ Part 1: Quetta digs deeper as water runs dry–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/251919/water-woes–part-1-quetta-digs-deeper-as-water-runs-dry/
[4] Provincial negligence: No relief for Balochistan victims–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/253433/provincial-negligence-no-relief-for-balochistans-victims/
[5] Four suspected of contracting Congo virus in Quetta–, at http://tribune.com.pk/story/253824/four-suspected-of-contracting-congo-virus-in-quetta/