Let me share with you another fascinating untold secret story where Brasstacks was directly involved in defending Baluchistan and Pakistan from RAW backed rebellion of Akbar Bugti in 2005-6.
By 2004-5 while TTP was being prepared for rebellion in NWFP, RAW and CIA had already launched the rebellion in Baluchistan using Nawab Akbar Bugti as the new leader of the BLA. Akbar Bug to had started attacks on the gas lines and entire Pakistan was facing gas shortages. Power lines were being destroyed, convoys were attacked, all development works of OGDC had stopped and attacks on armed force shad begun.
In Pakistan, there was Govt. of Musharraf BUT the political leadership was Shaukat Aziz, Chaudrey Shujaat and Mushahid Hussian running the show. They all were of the shameless view that Pakistan must accept the terms and conditions of Akbar Bugti and this war is NOT supported by RAW but is the fight for the rights of the ‘angry” baluch people. State of Pakistan must surrender to the demands of Akbar Bugti and withdraw all forces from Baluchistan and give huge funds to Akbar Bugti.
The traitor media like Geo was also supporting this false and RAW backed narrative. There was a total crisis and chaos in the country. There was NO voice in politics or media which could give the actual real narrative of the patriotic Baluch people. Musharraf was totally surrounded by these political leaders who were advising him to surrender to Bugti’s demands. Pakistan was about to lose Baluchistan.
Pak army was under the command of Musharraf and was waiting for Musharraf to decide, who remained confused because of his advisers. ISI and MI knew of the crisis BUT the political govt and the personal secretary of the President Tariq Aziz continue to betray the country and did not allow Musharraf to take any action against rebel groups and Akbar Bugti. It was in late 2005 or early 2006 that I received a call from a dear friend in Military Intelligence – Col Zahoor. He asked help.
He said that there is a Baluch Sardar living in Multan with his tribe and he is a close relative of Nawab Akbar Bugti and is a very patriotic Baluch but he and his tribe is being persecuted and punished by the PMLQ govt and he needs help. Col Zahoor wanted me to see how can we help these patriotic Baluch.
I agreed. I gave a call to this Baluch Sardar in Multan and invited him to Pindi. After a couple of day, an old Jeep came to my house with a dignified Baluch Sardar and his 4 body guards. I took them to a small hotel in Pindi and made them my personal guests.This was my first introduction with Sardar Mir Ahmadan Khan Bugti, first cousin of Nawab Akbar Bugti. The story that I heard from Mir Ahmdan shocked me to the core. He was a patriotic old Baluch Sardar from the Rahija sub tribe of Bugtis.
A first cousin of the Nawab, he and his entire Rahija, Kalpar and Massori Bugti tribes were driven, beaten and exiled from their native lands by Nawab Akbar Bugti and for the last 12 years, they were living a miserable life in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan. Their homes were robbed by Nawab Bugti. Their women were dishonored, their men were killed and their lands were occupied by Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Mir Ahmadan Bugti knew all the dirty secrets of Nawab Akbar Bugti. His own son was killed by Akbar Bugti. Ahmadan knew that Nawab was working for RAW to break Pakistan. I was stunned… ! For the first time, we had a patriotic Bugti Sardar who could give evidence that BLA and Nawab Akbar Bugti was not fighting for Baluch rights BUT is actually the biggest criminal of the Baluch people itself and is fighting to break Pakistan. I had not started to come on media at that time.
Now my first priority was that we bring Mir Ahmadan Bugti on PTV and air his interview in which he would give the real patriotic narrative of the Baluchistan crisis. So far, we only had the narrative of the traitors and Musharraf and the army was told that there are no other Bugtis left and we have to do what the traitors say…This was our moment to counter attack with a patriotic narrative. BUT the real question was how can we get the interview of Ahmadan on air when the PML(Q) govt was deadly against Ahmadan and wanted to get him arrested.???
PTV flatly refused to air the interview of Ahmadan. I asked Col Zahoor for help but even the Military Intelligence could not get involved without the approval of Musharraf.
Now I was on my own. Alhamdolillah, I found a contact very close to Musharraf. Told him the real story and then he called up the MD PTV and asked him to air the interview. Now we got the permission even though the govt was fiercely opposed to it but the approval from an important person close to Musharraf was strong enough. I personally drove Ahmadan in my old rickety Baleno car to the PTV head office in Islamabad. The excitement was razor sharp. This had never been done before. We were going to challenge RAW’s war against Baluchistan and directly attack BLA and Nawab Akbar Bugti and expose his deal with RAW.
Mir Ahmadan was nervous as well. He had never been on TV before, so I had to write the entire questions/answers for him. Briefed him in details on the subjects he has to speak and how he has to handle the questions and camera. He was going to be our lethal attack on the enemies and I wanted him to be perfect. Waiting in the visitor’s lounge in PTV, a young handsome fellow entered the room. I had seen him few times on TV before but we had never met. He stretched his hand for a handshake and said ” I am Ahmed Qureshi” !
The news that I have come to the PTV with Ahmadan for an interview had already traveled across the power corridors of the country. There was extreme panic and anger in the govt and in Dera Bugti, where Nawab Akbar Bugti had ordered all the cable TV and dishes to be shut down. He did not want Baluch people to see this interview. Mushahid Hussian, Chaudrey Shujaat, Tariq Aziz were furious too but my source was strong enough to stop them from blocking the airing.
It was a strong powerful and emotional program with Ahmadan. Ahmed Qureshi handled it well and for the first time Pakistan came to know that Nawab Akbar Bugti is a traitor and is brutal to his own tribe and his own people… The myth of BLA was busted… Program was aired on PTV, seen globally and chnaged the entire war game… !! We were jubilant. We did it, alhamdolillah.
Now the Military Intelligence had a strong case to support the patriotic Bugtis. It was decided that all the exiled patriotic Bugtis would be taken back to Dera Bugti and re-settled in their homes under army’s protection. They will be given funds, food, cattle, seeds and resources to start their lives again. 12 thousand Bugtis started their journey within weeks since we aired that program on PTV. The tables had now turned against the enemies.
One TV program had changed the entire national policy. Pak army now knew that we have patriotic Bugtis on our side. Dear Col Zahoor was given the task of re-settling the Bugtis back into Dera Bugti, Sui and Bekar areas. Convoys after convoys he led the operation and traveled to Dera Bugti, facing resistance from the BLA, ambushes, rocket attacks and landmines. Still, the operation continued and the patriotic Bugti tribe was resettled in their native lands. Nawab Akbar Bugti was defeated.. His own tribe was after his blood now and wanted revenge.
Bugti tribe wanted to put Akbar Bugti in a trial through a tribal jirga and execute him. Fierce clashes broke out between BLA and patriotic Bugtis. Nawab Akbar Bugti fled Dera Bugti and took refuge in mountains (in the north, belonging to Marri tribe). Tribals of Mir Ahmadan chased him into the mountains and trapped him in a cave.
Pak army was called in. Bugti demanded to see officers of Pak army to negotiate surrender. He wanted to surrender to army and not to his own tribe. 5 army officers went into the cave empty handed to negotiate but it was a trap. Bugti blew himself up, killing all the 5 army officers…. He committed suicide… army did not kill him…
On August 26th, around afternoon, everything was normal on media. I received a call from Col Zahoor. He spoke in hushed excitement “the budha is finally silent” !
Within hours, the news started to break on media. There was total panic in the enemy ranks.. ! All traitors were crying, accusing the army of killing the “great Baluch leader” !! I met Col Zahoor the next day and he had huge stories to share.. The back of BLA in Bugti areas was broken and now we could concentrate on other regions. Mir Ahmadan became our man in the area and was also elected as the MNA in the next elections. Dera Bugti became peaceful and now Mir Sarfraz Bugti is the home minister of Baluchistan, leading the fight against traitors.
The entire game plan of RAW was destroyed by one TV program which we arranged when no one knew that patriotic Bugtis existed. Col Zahoor was promoted to the rank of Brigadier as appreciation for his great work.
Zahoor died the death of a shaeed in heli crash in Muzaffarabad soon after wards. Pakistan lost a son, I lost a brother. But he lived like a hero and died like one also.
