Download PDF file - HRCP

Conflict in Balochistan 30
The Hindu Community
HRCP met a delegation of the Hindu community, who had left the town of Dera Bugti and were taking
refuge in Sui. They told the team that all members of their community had shifted out of Dera Bugti. Some were
in Sui, while others had migrated to other parts of Pakistan. They presented a home video to the press and
members of the team. It was shot during the outbreak of violence on March 17th, 2005, in Dera Bugti. The
video shows unarmed civilians running around for shelter during shelling, bombardment, and firing. According
to them, the fatalities occurred because of the heavy force used by the Frontier Corps. They confirmed that 33
members of their community were killed, mostly women and children, who were in their homes and could not
take shelter qu ickly enough. The video shows dead bodies with severe injuries.
Hattu Ram, a small shop owner, aged 60, told HRCP that 200 to 250 Hindu families had migrated
from Dera Bugti to Kashmore, Lehri and other places. Only two Hindu and three Sikhs remained in the town.
The Hindus homes had been located under the boundary wall of Nawab Akbar Bugti’s residential quarters,
and almost the entire community had fled in fear after fighting began..
Inter-tribal complaints and feuds
HRCP was approached by Sardar Ghulam Qadir Masoori (from a sub-tribe of the Bugtis), and
requested by him to investigate allegations made against Nawab Akbar Bugti. HRCP hopes that the government
will inquire into all such complaints and take appropriate legal means to redress the grievances of Sardar
Ghulam Qadir Masoori.
Colonel Furqan was already handling the matter and said the Masooris were “taking shelter” with the
FC and would be transported back to the Baiker area.
In his complaint, Masoori disclosed that he was a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora during Ziaulhaq’s
regime. Later, he contested elections against Salim Bugti, the son of Nawab Akbar Bugti. According to him, he
lost but secured a substantial amount of votes, thereby annoying the Nawab. Sardar Ghulam Qadir wrote that
he had carried out a number of development projects, which were opposed by Nawab Akbar Bugti. He gave
an account of the Nawab’s abuses against him and members of his clan. Amongst other accusations, he wrote
that the Nawab had imprisoned him in his private jail but he was able to escape on April 17 th ,2005. According
to him, as a routine practice, the Nawab ordered shaving off the head, beard, and moustache of his adversaries.
He listed names of people who had suffered this abuse.
In Sui, the team met around 25 persons in the PPL compound and in the house of the DCO, Dera
Bugti. The group identified themselves as members of the Kalpar sub-tribe. They declined to give their names
or be photographed or interviewed by the press. They expressed fear and apprehended reprisal by the Nawab.
They narrated the background of their feuds with, the Nawab, which HRCP is acquainted with and urged the
government to bring all perpetrators of crimes during these feuds to justice.
The Kalpars also made allegations of abuse by Nawab Akbar Bugti and his tribesmen. They, too,
alleged, that the Nawab often punished people by shaving off their heads, beards, and moustache. They also
made a strong plea that the Bugti land in Sui belonged to them, rather than to any other Bugti sub-tribe or the
Nawab.
The HRCP team noted, with distaste, that four members of the secret services were in the room and
recording a video of the meeting. The team members forbade them from doing so, as the Kalpars had themselves
expressed their apprehension at being filmed or photographed. Team members requested the secret services
agents to leave the room, which they did. Afew minutes later, three other secret services agents joined the