Baluch rioting spreads in Pakistan

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Members of Pakistan's Baluch ethnic minority have rioted for a second day following the army's killing of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a prominent leader of Baluchistan's separatist movement.

Pakistani police say that Baluch demonstrators have burnt dozens of shops, banks and government vehicles in Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan and in other cities since Bugti's death was announced on Saturday evening.

Suleman Sayed, Quetta's police chief, said that more than 450 rioters had been arrested by Sunday morning. Nine policemen have been injured by demonstrators.

The protests began after Pakistan's army killed Bugti in a raid on his mountain hideout on Saturday.

al Jazeera

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1. tip of the iceberg.

there's so much unrest in pakistan -- and if weren't for the current dictatorship -- it would fly apart.

now it looks like kashmere would rather be independant than attached to either pakistan or india.

waziristan{sp?} remains troublesome.

if the u.s. hadn't helped mushareff stay in power -- people would have been free to carve out their own destiny -- and probably this dangerous fracturing could have been resolved.

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2. Thanks for the update, Bemildred.

I have said, and I continue to say, that Afghanistan is the country to watch. I've always thought so.

This country is a powder keg, ready to blow.

There has been so much unrest, so much pent up anger that I'm surprised it hasn't blown by now.

But it is...and we may not hear all of it..until it's too late.

I guarantee you...there are so many burning fuses that Peter Pace and all the rest of them...Miers, Kimmitt, Sanchez...their hair is turning white as we speak.

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3. Pakistan/Afghanistan and the Saudis.

Hard to tell which one is going to blow first.

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4. 3 rd day of riots shakes Pakistan in fury over tribal chief’s killing

QUETTA, Pakistan — Riots broke out yesterday in southwestern Pakistan over the killing of one of the country’s most prominent tribal chiefs, with protesters torching shops and buses in a third day of unrest.

Nawab Akbar Bugti, who led a decadeslong violent campaign for greater rights for ethnic Baluch tribespeople, was killed Saturday in a military raid. Riots in Quetta left at least two people dead and a dozen wounded Sunday, and police said they had made at least 500 arrests.

Yesterday, five people were injured in clashes between protesters and police in the town of Pasni, where several shops were set ablaze in the bazaar. Police fired tear gas and gunshots into the air to disperse a mob, Pasni police officer Ahmed Ali Baluch said.

In Gawadar, a remote town on the Arabian Sea coast, nearly 1,000 protesters set fire to a bank and two shops, local police officer Mohammed Iqbal said.

Columbus Dispatch

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5. Riots continue in Pakistan over tribesmans death, five killed, over 20

wounded ISLAMABAD, Aug 29 (KUNA) -- Angry mob set afire dozens of cars, a bank, and set off home-made bombs, killing five and wounding over 20 in Southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan after thousands attended the funeral prayer of killed key tribal chief in the provincial capital, said police and eyewitnesses on Tuesday.

Heavy deployment of police and Rangers continued to guard Quetta on the third day of riots that sparked following death of Nawab Akbar Bugti on Saturday night in a massive military operation, an eyewitness, Ali Shah, told KUNA.

Police sources said angry mob set on fire dozens of cars, five buses, a bank, and an office of district government.

Thousands had gathered at heavily-guarded Ayub Stadium to offer the funeral prayer of Nawab Bugti. Police said five homemade bombs went off near the stadium, wounding at lease five people and causing damage to several nearby shops.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=900315

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6. Rail link to Quetta cut

Mayhem continues after Bugti’s funeral service

Movement of all trains towards Baluchistan, and particularly to capital Quetta from other parts of Pakistan has been suspended in the wake of more reports of mayhem in the tribal province following the death of Baluch leader Akbar Khan Bugti in a military operation in the Kohlu Hills.

Most of the railway tracks leading out of Quetta have been blocked and boulders have been placed on railway lines.

Officials at the Railway headquarters in Lahore have issued directives not to operate any train between Quetta and Sibbi.

Railway traffic on the 141-km track between Quetta and Sibbi has been closed till further orders.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060830/main1.htm

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7. Blast kills three in Baluchistan

A bomb has exploded in a hotel in the gas-rich Pakistani province of Baluchistan, killing three people, police have said.

Violent protests have erupted in several parts of Baluchistan since a Baluch nationalist rebel leader was killed in fighting with security forces on Saturday.

"Three people were killed on the spot while another three are seriously injured," Maqsood Anwar, a police officer in the town of Hub, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Five or six other people had minor wounds, he said.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6E95683D-6992-4ACE-B44B-D82B5EDD5625.htm

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8. Train services in Quetta Restored: Pakistan's Railway Minister

SIALKOT: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said that civil and army officials were busy in search of the dead body of the deceased Chief of Jamhoori Watan Party Nawab Akbar Bugti in Baloachistan and it will take time in finding out his dead.

He stated this while addressing a press conference at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), here, after Wednesday. District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema was also present on this occasion.

Replying to a question, Sheikh Rashid said that it would take from two to eight days more to find out the dead body of the Akbar Bugti. He said that after its finding, the dead body would be handed over to the Akbar Bugti's heirs with out any sort of further delay in burial.

He said that the tense situation was rapidly reducing in Baloachistan and the train services to and from Quetta were restored back to normal.

http://www.pakistantimes.net/2006/08/31/top4.htm

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9. Trans-Afghan project may be just a pipe dream

KABUL - Ambitious plans to revive the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline project could be wrecked by an upsurge of anti-government violence in Pakistan where this week thousands of people have joined supporters of a tribal leader to protest his killing by the military.

On Tuesday, explosions and gunfire were reported after more than 10,000 people attended memorial prayers for Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was fighting for greater autonomy for his gas-rich but underdeveloped province of Balochistan.

Bugti, a former governor of the province, was killed on August 26 when Pakistani government helicopter gunships and ground troops attacked his mountain cave hide-out.

With about 6 million people, Balochistan's population is almost half that of Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi. But in terms of mineral wealth it is the country's richest region. Islamabad has been planning a deep-sea port at Gwadar and a road link through Afghanistan to Central Asia from the province.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HI01Df01.html

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10. Tribal rebels bomb gas pipeline amid protests in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan (AFP) - Tribal insurgents bombed a gas pipeline in southwestern Pakistan as tension continued over the killing of a rebel chieftain in a military operation, police said.

"Miscreants detonated a bomb that blew up a pipeline and disrupted gas supplies to thousands of homes in Mastung and Qalat districts," local police officer Hamid Shakil said on Sunday.

The blast took place 35 kilometers (21 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta, amid calls by opposition parties to stage demonstrations across Baluchistan over the August 26 killing of veteran Baluch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

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The militants had weapons of "high caliber and in a huge quantity" he said, adding that all ammunition was Russian made and was ferried to Baluchistan from Afghanistan.

Yahoo