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Administrarion | Population |
Bugti Tribes |
Tribes and Chiefs | Famous Bugtis
Dera Bugti is a district located in the south west of Balochistan province
of Pakistan. Dera Bugti is named after its headquarter town 'Dera Bugti'.
Dera (a Balochi word) means abode'or`habitat',while `Bugti' is the name of
the major Baloch tribe. Thus Dera Bugti means the abode of theBugtis, the
dominant tribe of this district. Dera Bugti district has three
sub-districts: Dera Bugti, Sui and Phailawagh. Natural gas is the major
mineral wealth of Dera Bugti district. There are four major gas fields: Sui
gas field, Pir Koh Gas field, Loti Gas field and Uch Gas field. Natural Gas
was discovered at Sui in 1963 for use all over the country. The first
natural gas supply plant was established at Sui (in 1963). Besides Sui, Pir
Koh, Loti, and Uch, gas is believed to be also present in other parts of
Dera Bugti district.
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Places of
Interest
Administration
The town of Dera Bugti serves as the heaquarters of the district and tehsil
of the same name. The town of Dera Bugti itself functions as a Union
council.Dera Bugti is homeland of all Bugti tribes. In this District, four
natural gas fields are working and the gas is being provided all parts of
Pakistan, But most areas of this district are still deprived from gas, are
Sui Gas Field which is managed by PPL, Pir Koh Gas Fiel, Loti Gas Field and
Uoch Gas Field managed by OGDCL.
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Population
The population of Dera Bugti district was estimated to be over 250,000 in
2005. Over 99% of the people of the area are Muslims. The Bugti is the
Baloch tribe in the district.
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Bugti Tribes
Bugti (Urdu: بگٹی), is a
Baloch tribe located in Balochistan, Pakistan. They are divided among
various clans such as Rahija, Kalpar, Nauthani, Masuri, Ferozani, Salamaan
Zai, Mundarani, Qasimani, Shambani, Sobazai, Pah'i and Moharkanzai etc.,
numbering around 300,000.
On a bigger scale the Bugti tribe is claimed to be a clan of the Rind tribe.
Like the Marris, the Bugtis are considered fine horsemen and good fighters.
A military expedition against the Bugti was organized by Sir Charles Napier
in 1845, but the British could not control the tribe till later when Sir
Robert Sandeman ruled Baluchistan. It is claimed that the construction of
the Sukkur-Quetta railway line bifurcated the territory of the Bugtis and
made them adopt to the modern ways of life. Marri and Bugti both are
blood-related tribes. In fact, it is said that Marri, Bugti, Khetran and
Rind have the same origin. Bugti is the most powerful tribe of Baluch
purported to settle at present location circa 1500 AD when Mir Chakkar (a
16th-century Baluch king) settled in the barren terrain of present Bugti
territories in Baluchistan, i.e., the large area around the town of Dera
Bugti.
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Tribes and Chiefs
The Bugti Nawab is the supreme leader of the whole Bugti tribe. The Chiefs
of sub-tribes of Bugti are throned by the Nawab upon the formal request of
that sub-tribe in the event of death, paralysis or simply the lose of
majority support from and within that particular sub-tribe. The Chieftains
of Sub-tribes are also known as Waderas in Baluchi. They are throned from
among other possible candidates in the family—the competition being of
support, intelligence, flair, finesse and talent to lead his sub-tribe
diligently and solve their problems. Its a kind of naturally formed
democratic system of elections where each valid member of that particular
sub-tribe's vote counts and amazing thing is, there are absolutely no
chances of vote rigging or ballot boxes going missing. So, its a kind of
state-of-the-art, modern-day, extremely transparent democratic system where
talent, generosity, intelligence, bravery and all positive personal
qualities are rewarded with great honor and celebration while evil is
defeated with majority support from the tribesmen. All sub-tribes chiefs
collectively support and elect the Supreme Chief of Bugti tribe by majority
vote. Similarly, as for sub-tribes chiefs election, the Supreme Chief (Nawab)
is throned or dethroned depending on his ability to lead the tribe and the
ability and power of rival within the Supreme Chief's family. The whole
tribal system of Baluch tribes especially Bugti and Marri, always and must
ensure that best candidate is throned and worst naturally withers out. The
Supreme Leader's election is necessary to bring in harmoniously
relationships within the Bugti tribe and outside other Baluch tribes. The
Supreme Leader ensures the tribal rights are secured, prosperity and
development work is always underway and peace is maintained with other
Tribes. The Supreme Leaders of all Baluch Tribes works to ensure and secure
the rights of Baluch as a nation. Following are the names of Bugti tribes,
sub-tribes, and their chieftains:
Following are the names of the tribes and their chieftains
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Mundarani: (Wadera Mir
Muhammad Bux Khan Bugti)
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Ferozani : (Wadera Murad
Bugti)
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Mohaarkanzai: (Wadera
Nayalaan Bugti)
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Rahija: (Wadera Piro Khan
Bugti) (Rahija is the tribe of Nawab Bugti Sobazai, Salamaanzai, Lal Khan Zai, etc.; all are
subtribes of Rahijas.)
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Masuri: (Wadera Ghulam
Qadir Khan Bugti)
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Nauthani: (Wadera Maywa
Khan Bugti)
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Kalpar: (Wadera Jalalan
Bugti)
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(Kalpar) Deenari: (Wadera
Qamaruddin Bugti)
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(Kalpar) Hothkani: (Wadera
Abaad Khan Bugti)
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Shambani: (Wadera Fazal
Khan Bugti)
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Maretha: (Wadera Sagheera
Bugti)
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Mandhwani: (Wadera Mir
Shahnawaz Khan Bugti)
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Famous Bugtis
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Nawab
Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti
Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti (Urdu: نواب اکبر شہاز خان بگٹی) (July 12,
1927–August 26, 2006) was the Tumandar (head) of the Bugti tribe of Baloch
and served as Minister of State for Interior and Governor of Balochistan
Province in Pakistan.
After an armed struggle started in Balochistan in 2004, Bugti was widely
perceived as a leader but went underground in 2005. On August 26, 2006,
after several attempts were made on his life in the preceding months, he
was killed in his cave in Kohlu, about 150 miles east of Quetta, leading
to widespread unrest in the area, where he is widely regarded as a hero
and martyr
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Early life
Akbar Bugti was the son of Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti and a grandson of Sir
Shahbaz Khan Bugti. He was born in Barkhan the rural home of the rustic
Khetran a (Marri-Bugti) Baloch tribe to which his mother belonged and now
an upgraded district of Balochistan, on July 12, 1927. He received his
early education from Allama I.I. Kazi and claimed to be educated at Oxford
University
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In Politics
Nawab Akbar Bugti was elected in a by-election to the National Assembly of
Pakistan in May 1958 to fill the vacancy created as a result of the
assassination of the incumbent, Dr Khan Sahib, and sat on the government
bench as a member of the ruling coalition. Bugti (Republican) served as
Minister of State (Interior) in the government of Prime Minister Malik Sir
Feroz Khan Noon (Republican) from September 20, 1958, to October 7, 1958,
when the cabinet was dismissed on the declaration of Martial Law by
President Iskander Mirza.
He was arrested and convicted by a Military Tribunal in 1960 and
subsequently qualify from holding public office. As a result of his legal
battles, he did not contest the 1970 general elections. Instead, he
campaigned on behalf of his younger brother, Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, a
candidate of the National Awami Party.
However, Bugti developed differences with the NAP leadership, especially
the new Balochistan Governor, Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo. He informed the Federal
Government and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Pakistan Peoples Party) of
the alleged London Plan, which resulted in the dismissal of the provincial
governor as well as the Chief Minister Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal and his
cabinet on February 14, 1973. The next day, the Federal Government
appointed Bugti as the Governor of Balochistan, and the Pakistan Army was
deployed in the province as part of a crackdown on the National Awami
Party.
He resigned on January 1, 1974, after disagreeing with the manner in which
the Federal Government was carrying out policies in Balochistan. The army
had deployed 100,000 men in Balochistan and with the help of the Iranian
airforce killed large numbers of Balochis. Muhammad Raza Shah Pahlavi, the
King of Iran, sent F-14 fighter jets and AH-1 gunships along with his
pilots, to help Pakistan Army combat the insurgency. The Pakistani army is
alleged to have killed more than 4000 Balochi, mostly Marri insurgents, in
these operations. Akbar Bugti is said to have supported the military
action.
There was a lull in his activities when General Rahimuddin Khan was
appointed Governor of Balochistan in 1978. Bugti remained silent
throughout the course of Rahimuddin's rule, which was often characterized
by hostility towards the Baloch Sardars.
In 1988, he joined the Balochistan National Alliance and was elected Chief
Minister on February 4, 1989. His government frequently disagreed with the
Federal Government led by the Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan
Peoples Party).
Bugti resigned on August 6, 1990, when the provincial assembly was
dissolved by Governor of Balochistan General Muhammad Musa Khan in
accordance with the instructions of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who was
exercising his authority by virtue of Article 58 (2 b) of the Constitution
of Pakistan. For the 1990 General Elections, Bugti formed his own
political party, the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), being Balochistan's
single largest party and was elected to the provincial assembly.
In 1993, he was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan, representing
the JWP in parliament. Also, in 1993, Nawab Bugti announced his candidacy
to be President of Pakistan but later withdrew his candidacy and announced
his support of the eventual winner, Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. In
1997, Nawab Bugti was re-elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan,
representing the JWP
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Balochistan Conflict
Bugti was involved in struggles, at times armed ones, in Balochistan in
the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He led the current movement in Balochistan
for greater autonomy. He was the public face and provided political
support for the movement while his grandson, Brahamdagh Khan Bugti, led
the Bugti tribesmen.
In recent years, he was accused by the Pakistani government of being a
warlord and running a well-organized militia, sometimes thought to be the
shadowy Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) with members numbering in the
thousands. The BLA allegedly ran dozens of militant guerrilla training
camps. While campaigning from the mountain ranges of Dera Bugti, he was,
according to the Pakistani government, directing a “Omar Mukhtar, Fidel
Castro and Che Guevara” style guerrilla war. In July 2006, Pakistani
president General Musharraf targeted him through aerial bombing, using air
force jets and gunship helicopters. The leader of Balochistan National
Party, Sardar Akhtar Mengal said, "The increase in bomb attacks in the
Bugti and Marri areas are meant to target Baloch nationalist leader Nawab
Akbar Bugti and his associates" and called upon the international
community to take note of the situation.
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Death
On Saturday August 26, 2006, around 2230 hrs (PST), Bugti was killed when
a shell exploded in the cave in which he was hiding. The Pakistani
government says that he killed himself along with senior security
officials by firing a shell when he was cornered by the Pakistani
officials who had come unarmed to arrest him, resulting in the collapse of
the cave. Five Pakistani troops also died.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf termed his death a victory for
Pakistanis and congratulated the secret service chief who carried out this
operation. Pakistan's Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani, confirmed
that the operation included both air and ground assault. In a short
telephone interview, made to a private television network, the Pakistani
Information Minister said that Bugti's death occurred as the cave he was
in collapsed.
In a recent article the Pakistani Journalist Hamid Mir said that the last
time that he talked to Nawab Bugti, he was in the mountains and had called
Mir from his satellite phone. In this last conversation with Hamid Mir,
Nawab Bugti told him "Read Mir Gul Khan Nasir's book on the history of
Balochistan. The Baloch have always resisted unconstitutional measures.I'm
not a traitor, the people who go against the Article 6 and take control of
Pakistan are the real traitors. I, like Mir Gul Khan Nasir, only put
forward the demand for Balochistan's rights. But in General Musharraf's
view this is a crime punishable by death. (Bugti Laughs then continues)
Your commando general will rest only after he martyrs me but after my
martyrdom he will be held responsible. So now it's up to you people to
either choose Musharraf or Pakistan. The choice is yours."
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Funeral and Rioting
Bugti's death was followed by rioting by hundreds of students from the
state-run Balochistan university.As the news flashed across television
screens in Pakistan, the government deployed Rangers and paramilitary
forces across major cities to prevent a backlash and impose a curfew in
the provincial capital, Quetta. Security arrangements for the Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf have been beefed up to the highest level, and
his movement has since been very restricted, fearing a retaliatory attack.
Security arrangements have been further enhanced in and around all
airports of Pakistan. The media both in Pakistan and outside have severely
condemend the killing as the "military’s second biggest blunder after
Bhutto’s execution" and calling it a "political nightmare".Others have
likened it to the East Bengal crisis of 1971 where military violence
eventually led to the Bangladesh Liberation War.
On August 27, 2006, some private media broadcast news that Bugti's
grandsons, Brahamdagh and Mir Ali, are still alive, but no official
confirmation has been made.On September 1, 2006 Bugti was buried in Dera
Bugti with three locks on his coffin, next to the graves of his son and
brother. His family, who wanted a public funeral in Quetta, did not attend
the burial, they protested against his body being locked in the coffin.
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