Brahmdagh Bugti seeking political asylum in Switzerland

Chief of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) Nawabzada Brahmdagh Bugti has sought political asylum in Switzerland.

Brahmdagh has submitted an application to the Swiss authorities seeking political asylum, Mir Sher Muhammad Bugti, his spokesperson maintained. He will continue to take up the issue of human rights violations in Balochistan at the UN and other international forums, the spokesperson added. Brahmdagh had gone into hiding following the death of Baloch chieftains Nawab Akbar Bugti and Balach Marri. He avoided contacting people for security reasons. Brahmdagh also advised his supporters to continue their struggle for the rights of the Baloch people. The government has made repeated claims about Brahmdagh Bugtis presence in the Afghan capital of Kabul from where he has been leading the Baloch insurgents. He had founded the outlawed Baloch Republican Army (BRA) which is engaged in attacks on government installations and security forces in volatile parts of Balochistan. Pakistan authorities had taken up Brahmdaghs matter with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, when he visited Islamabad last time. And the Afghan leader had promised to look into the matter. Brahmdagh has been denying reports that he was hiding in Afghanistan and instead claimed that he was leading a struggle for the rights of the Baloch people from somewhere in Balochistan.Recently, Nawabzada Hyrbyar Marri was also given political asylum in Britain on a British courts orders. Earlier, Britains Home Office had rejected his application for political asylum.

Five blasts rock Turbat airport

Staff Report

TURBAT: Five back-to-back blasts have rocked Turbat airport, Trend Pk reported Wednesday.

Paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) personnel reached the scene and cordoned off the entire area.

Fire was opened at FC personnel from a house, which is reportedly owned by Baloch leader Ayub Khan Gachki.

According to reports, insurgents are present in the house which has been surrounded by paramilitary troops.

There are no immediate reports of casualties. Trend Pk

Shutter down in Hub against BNP leader killing

Staff Report

HUB: A complete shutter down is being observed in Hub against the killing of Baloch National Party (BNP) leader, Nooruddin Mengal Thursday.

All the markets, petrol pumps and trade centers in the city are closed, while private offices seem empty.

BNP announced a shutter down against Mengal’s killing throughout Balochistan. SAMAA

Shutter down in Hub against BNP leader killing

Staff Report

HUB: A complete shutter down is being observed in Hub against the killing of Baloch National Party (BNP) leader, Nooruddin Mengal Thursday.

All the markets, petrol pumps and trade centers in the city are closed, while private offices seem empty.

BNP announced a shutter down against Mengal’s killing throughout Balochistan. SAMAA

India supporting Balochistan insurgency: Musharraf

NEW YORK: Former President Pervez Musharraf, in an interview with Indian TV channel Times Now, pointed finger at India for the simmering insurgency in Balochistan including providing full logistic support to the Baloch separatists.

In the interview, Musharraf said India was ‘aiding and abetting militancy in Balochistan.’

“We have evidence and proof that Baramdagh Bugti who carries out attacks is sitting in Kabul. He visits Delhi and is received by RAW.”

On Sunday, Musharraf told ABC News he favors agreements with moderate Taliban in the fight against Islamic militants allied with al-Qaeda, while rejecting the perception that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI was supporting the Taliban.

“After defeating the Taliban, after 9-11, I always was of the view we need to go in for deals,” Musharraf said in an interview broadcast on ABC’s “This Week” program

India supporting Balochistan insurgency: Musharraf

NEW YORK: Former President Pervez Musharraf, in an interview with Indian TV channel Times Now, pointed finger at India for the simmering insurgency in Balochistan including providing full logistic support to the Baloch separatists.

In the interview, Musharraf said India was ‘aiding and abetting militancy in Balochistan.’

“We have evidence and proof that Baramdagh Bugti who carries out attacks is sitting in Kabul. He visits Delhi and is received by RAW.”

On Sunday, Musharraf told ABC News he favors agreements with moderate Taliban in the fight against Islamic militants allied with al-Qaeda, while rejecting the perception that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI was supporting the Taliban.

“After defeating the Taliban, after 9-11, I always was of the view we need to go in for deals,” Musharraf said in an interview broadcast on ABC’s “This Week” program

Balochistan tense as Jalib funeral offered

QUETTA: Thousands of people attended Wednesday the funeral of Habib Jalib Baloch, Secretary General of Balochistan National Party, who was assassinated by unknown assailants in provincial capital in morning today, ARY NEWS reported.

Original post: 
Balochistan tense as Jalib funeral offered

Pak successfully fires two missiles: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan successfully test fired two missiles Ghaznavi and Shaheen I on Saturday.

Pakistan successfully test-fires two missiles

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has successfully test-fired two ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

According to ISPR, Shaheen-1 missile has range of about 400 miles (650kilometers), while the second Ghaznavi missile could hit target at a distance of 180 miles (290 kilometers).

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, General Tariq Pervaiz and Admital Nauman Bashir witnessed Saturday’s launch.

US says wants more from Pakistan

KANSAS CITY: The United States wants and expects more from Pakistan in the fight against insurgents and is ready to offer additional assistance if Islamabad asks, two senior Obama administration officials said on Friday.

“We”ve gotten more cooperation and it”s been a real sea change in the commitment we”ve seen from the Pakistan government. (But) we want more. We expect more,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told CBS” “60 Minutes” in an interview, excerpts of which were released on Friday.

She added that Washington had also warned of “severe consequences” if a successful attack in America were traced back to Pakistan. She did not elaborate.

Investigations into the Pakistani-American suspect in last Saturday”s failed bombing attempt in New York”s Times Square have uncovered possible links to the Pakistani Taliban and a Kashmiri Islamist group.

That has prompted speculation the United States, Pakistan”s top provider of aid, could press Islamabad to open risky new fronts against Islamic militants.

But Defense Secretary Robert Gates, speaking to reporters on a trip to Kansas, appeared to play down the chances of an expanded Pakistani crackdown on insurgents.

He pointed to the strain on security forces already battling militants in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

“With their military operations in the west, they”ve started to be pretty thinly stretched themselves, as well as taking a substantial number of casualties,” Gates said.

The United States was ready to step up assistance to Pakistan, he said.

“We”re willing to do as much … as they are willing to accept,” Gates said. “We are prepared to do training, and exercise with them. How big that operation becomes is really up to them.”

Citing anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, Gates added, “They (Pakistani leaders) are also very interested in keeping our footprints as small as possible, at least for now.”

President Barack Obama”s administration has repeatedly praised Pakistani military operations over the past year, including the recent capture in Pakistan of the Afghan Taliban”s No. 2, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Clinton said it marked an improvement from the “double game going on in the previous years, where we got a lot of lip service but very little produced.”

“We have seen the killing or capturing of a great number of the leadership of significant terrorist groups and we”re going (to) continue that,” she said.

The United States, which sees Pakistan”s effort against militants as crucial to its fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan, has about 200 military personnel in Pakistan, including Special Operations forces on a training mission.

The CIA is also waging a covert war using pilotless drone aircraft to target insurgents in Pakistan.

“I think cooperation has continued to (improve), the relationship is continuing to improve, and I think we just keep moving in that direction,” Gates said.

A White House official said the United States had been working with Pakistan and would keep assisting a Pakistani offensive to root out the Taliban.

“We”ve been working on the other side of the border, of course, with Pakistan in developing a strong partnership in which they have gone on the offensive — the largest offensive they”ve undertaken in some years — in order to root out extremists within their borders, including the Taliban,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters.

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