Balochistan provincial government, shaken by a spate of tribal violence in Sui area, has asked the federal government to ensure peace in the region, as security forces continue to pour into the remote town.
The appeal for assistance from the federal government is seen as a green signal to the army to take over the security of Sui gas field from the paramilitary rangers after a spate of violence earlier this week in which 15 people have been killed.
But sources in Balochistan provincial government said that Pakistan troops, backed by helicopters and artillery, have already started moving into the area.
“We have simply asked the federal government to take charge of the security,” Shoaib Nowsherwani, the home minister, told reporters in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.
“Troops will be restricted only to Sui,” he said.
The Baloch nationalist forces have reacted strongly to the provincial government move.
Nawab Akbar Bugti, chief of the Bugti tribe, blamed for the attacks on the Sui gas installations, has said that he feared a military crackdown on his people.
“The government would be responsible for aggravating the situation,” he told reporters in his hometown of Dera Bugti where hundreds of security forces continued to strengthen their positions after arrival of additional troops from nearby cantonment areas.
Meanwhile, the gas plant of Sui remained shut for the fifth straight day, worsening the gas supplies all over the country.
After the suspension of gas supplies to major industries, including the power generation plants and fertiliser companies, the domestic users have also started to face the crunch.
Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman of the Sui Northern Gas, which supplies gas to Punjab and NWFP, said the company had no choice but to manage the load. As a result homes remained without gas for hours at a stretch.
Similar measures have been taken in Sindh and Balochistan, where Sui Southern Gas Company supplies gas.
Security worries had delayed the start of repair work at the Sui gas field resulting in the gas shortages across the country.
The Sui South has announced a schedule for cuts in gas supplies to domestic users in Karachi and several other cities, and urged consumers to conserve gas to avoid further cut.
Gulf News
