PAKISTAN: BAN PLACED ON BALUCHISTAN LIBERATION ARMY
Islamabad, 10 April (AKI/DAWN) - The Pakistani government has banned a militant group fighting for more autonomy in the restive south-western province of Baluchistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has been declared a terrorist organisation according to officials. The ban comes as the number of militant attacks on government installations and the security forces in the province have increased.
Baluchistan is the source of Pakistan's main gas reserves and has been the scene of increased violence between rebels and security forces. The rebels are demanding greater political and economic rights. The tribal separatists have targeted gas plants, electricity lines and railway tracks. The province of Pakistan's biggest but poorest and borders both Afghanistan and Iran.
According to a notification issued by Pakistan's interior ministry on Sunday, the BLA is headed by some tribal leaders. However, a news agency quoted a Baluchistan police chief as saying that Balach Marri, a member of the provincial assembly, heads the group and he will now lose his assembly seat.
The decision to ban the BLA was made after the government cancelled the licences to carry arms issued earlier to the main nationalist leaders in Baluchistan.
According to the notification about the ban, the BLA was involved in sabotage activities, including rocket attacks on national installations, civilian population and security forces. It was also accused of laying landmines in various parts of the province.
Pakistan's interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah told reporters that anyone associated with the BLA or supporting its terrorist activities would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
He said the investigation into several past terrorist acts found that the majority of the incidents had been planned, engineered and executed by BLA operatives to create a situation of anarchy in Baluchistan.
The offices of the BLA operating anywhere in the country, he said, would be sealed and bank accounts associated with it would be frozen immediately.
The interior secretary said no prominent leader of the BLA had been arrested. He, however, added that several of its operatives had been caught who had admitted to their involvement in terrorist activities.
He said intelligence agencies had credible evidence that the BLA operated with foreign support, adding "the organisation is being financed from certain foreign sources."
He pointed out that the BLA had "camps" to train its workers to carry out acts of sabotage.
Last week, the BLA claimed responsibility for attacks which killed five tribal policemen and a private security official guarding an oil and gas exploration site in Bolan. The group has also said it was behind recent landmine attacks on gas pipelines and railway lines.
Reports say that the BLA was set up in the 1970s and is the first nationalist group to be banned by Pakistan in recent years.
Baluchistan is the source of Pakistan's main gas reserves and has been the scene of increased violence between rebels and security forces. The rebels are demanding greater political and economic rights. The tribal separatists have targeted gas plants, electricity lines and railway tracks. The province of Pakistan's biggest but poorest and borders both Afghanistan and Iran.
According to a notification issued by Pakistan's interior ministry on Sunday, the BLA is headed by some tribal leaders. However, a news agency quoted a Baluchistan police chief as saying that Balach Marri, a member of the provincial assembly, heads the group and he will now lose his assembly seat.
The decision to ban the BLA was made after the government cancelled the licences to carry arms issued earlier to the main nationalist leaders in Baluchistan.
According to the notification about the ban, the BLA was involved in sabotage activities, including rocket attacks on national installations, civilian population and security forces. It was also accused of laying landmines in various parts of the province.
Pakistan's interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah told reporters that anyone associated with the BLA or supporting its terrorist activities would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
He said the investigation into several past terrorist acts found that the majority of the incidents had been planned, engineered and executed by BLA operatives to create a situation of anarchy in Baluchistan.
The offices of the BLA operating anywhere in the country, he said, would be sealed and bank accounts associated with it would be frozen immediately.
The interior secretary said no prominent leader of the BLA had been arrested. He, however, added that several of its operatives had been caught who had admitted to their involvement in terrorist activities.
He said intelligence agencies had credible evidence that the BLA operated with foreign support, adding "the organisation is being financed from certain foreign sources."
He pointed out that the BLA had "camps" to train its workers to carry out acts of sabotage.
Last week, the BLA claimed responsibility for attacks which killed five tribal policemen and a private security official guarding an oil and gas exploration site in Bolan. The group has also said it was behind recent landmine attacks on gas pipelines and railway lines.
Reports say that the BLA was set up in the 1970s and is the first nationalist group to be banned by Pakistan in recent years.
posted by Marko at 4/10/2006 08:04:00 AM
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