The Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) has claimed responsibility for a blast in Sui and announced the closure of the N-65 national highway for commercial and mineral transport. The BRG’s blockade of N-65 announcement came days after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) declared what it called “complete control” over the N-40 Quetta-Taftan highway.
The National Highway 65 or the N-65 is a major highway running from Sukkur in Sindh to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan via Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Jaffarbad and Nasirabad. Its total length is around 385 km with 295 falling in Balochistan and the remaining 90 km in the Sindh province.
The National Highway 40 or the N-40 runs from Lakpass near Quetta to the border town of Taftan via Nokkundi and extends into Iran. Its total length is 610 km and the BLA gaining control over it is a serious setback for Pakistan’s security forces. The BLA had warned that trucks, trailers and convoys carrying what it described as “looted Baloch resources and minerals” would no longer be allowed to pass through the route.
Contractors, transporters warned against trespass
In that statement, the BLA said the route fell within what it called the region under its control. Issuing a dire warning to companies, contractors and transporters involved in mineral extraction, the BLA has said that they would be responsible for their own “life and financial losses” if they continued using the highway, according to The Balochistan Post.
Meanwhile, Pakistani forces and police personnel came under separate attacks in Kech, Khuzdar and other districts of Balochistan from Baloch rebel groups. According to reports, armed fighters targeted a Pakistani forces camp in the Balicha area of Tump during the evening hours. Multiple explosions and gunfire were heard during the attack, though details of casualties were not immediately available.
In a separate incident in the Baghbana area of Khuzdar, armed men reportedly detained four police personnel, seized their weapons and later released them. The policemen were warned that next time around they were caught fighting for the occupying forces, a reference to Pakistan security forces, they will be in dire straits and face stricter punishment.
Meanwhile, the BRG have said that its fighters targeted contractor Haji Amanullah Bugti at his residence in Sui city with a remote-controlled explosion. In a statement, BRG spokesperson Dostain Baloch said Amanullah Bugti was a “state-backed contractor” and a close associate of Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, accusing him of facilitating Pakistani forces.
CM Sarfaraz Bugti is a much hated figure among a section of ordinary Baloch people as he has been advocating elimination of armed groups. One of his most incendiary statements has been regarding genocide as the only solution to problems being faced by Balochistan.
The BRG group has claimed that Amanullah’s nephew, Tariq Bugti, and two government personnel assigned for his protection were seriously injured in the blast. It identified the two personnel as Kozha, son of Karman Bugti, a police constable, and Ghulam Nabi Bugti.
The BRG warned residents of the area, particularly labourers, to stay away from Haji Amanullah Bugti and other “state-backed” contractors, including their machinery, businesses and residences. Through the same statement, the BRG announced what it called the “complete closure” of the N-65 national highway connecting Quetta with Sindh and Punjab for business and commercial transport.
The BRG said the announcement applied to transporters and machinery involved in carrying mineral resources extracted from Balochistan or supporting what it described as the economy of the “occupying state”. Pakistan is called as occupying state by several armed groups for facilitating exploitation of mineral resources of Balochistan with the help of Chinese companies.
The group said transporters and owners violating the announcement would be responsible for any loss of life or property, while public passenger transport would remain exempt.
Mineral extraction by Pakistan is a plunder
In another statement, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) said Balochistan’s resources belonged “solely and exclusively to the Baloch nation”, describing their protection from what it called “state-sponsored plunder” as a “collective and primary national duty”. Due to several attacks carried out by the Baloch rebels, the extraction of minerals in various mines has almost come to a standstill.
With the rebels targeting large convoys carrying minerals from different mines and issuing these warnings, the transporters have decided not to lift the extracted minerals. They have also urged both the federal and the provincial government to provide them fool-proof security to resume operations.
