The tenth martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti, former minister and Governor of Baluchistan, was observed with shutter down strikes and demonstrations all across the world including Baluchistan, US, UK and other European countries. Reiterating their vow to continue the struggle following the ideology of their national leader, activists paid tributes to Bugti who sacrificed his life for the Baluch nation. After bringing up the Human Rights violations in Baluchistan in his Red Fort speech, Prime Minister Modi has been receiving a zealous and exciting response from the affected area of Pakistan’s state-sponsored violence. After different groups of Baluchis collectively observed the martyrdom day of Bugti, it appears that Modi’s speech has given a united voice to the different factions of Baluchi freedom movement.
Who was Bugti? Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugti (July 12, 1927 – August 26, 2006) was the head of the Bugti tribe of Baluch people and freedom fighter who served as both the Chief Minister and Governor of Baluchistan Province. On August 26, 2006, he was brutally killed in a military operation. His killing led to widespread unrest in the area and a surge in the nationalist sentiment in Baluchistan. |
Baloch Republican Party which was at the forefront of organising these events remembered the lifetime struggle and ultimate sacrifice of this leader under the auspices of various chapters in Europe and South Korea.
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People staged massive agitation in Sui, Dera Bugti, Jafarabad, Nasirabad and other locations in Baluchistan. According to reports, protesters were seen carrying Indian flags and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pictures along with those of the Baloch martyr and freedom fighter Akbar Bugti during the protests. The Baloch Republican Party’s United Kingdom chapter held a seminar paying tribute to Shaheed Bugti. A large number of Party activists, UK citizens and Baluch leader Sardar Bakhtiar Khan Domki participated and expressed their solidarity with Baluch people. In another major protest in Europe, the Party Chief Nawab Brahumdagh Bugti, other activists and a large number of German citizens organised events in Germany. Addressing the gathering through a vedio message, Nawab Brahumdagh Bugti said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was being built on the dead bodies of Baluch civilians who opposed the project that goes against their will. BRP Germany Chapter also held a protest after the event in Leipzig. The protesters highlighted human rights violations and military operations in Baluchistan and chanted slogans against China and Pakistan for oppressing the Baluch nation.
The people of Baluchistan hope that India will support the Baluch cause. It has now been espoused on Twitter with the hashtag #IndiaforBalochistan. Meanwhile, BJP assured the people of Baluchistan of its support and castigated Pakistan for brewing unrest in its largest province. It also urged the international community to build pressure on Islamabad to take steps to address the grievances of the Baluchi people.
—Organiser Bureau
with agency inputs
