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QUETTA: Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, the provincial chief of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), could not mount a “long march” on Dera Bugti on Friday as police blocked all roads leading to and from his residence here. The Balochistan government had imposed restrictions on the movement of Shahzain Bugti and his brother Ghoram Bugti for 90 days under the Maintenance of Public Order law.
The orders of the home department were served on him on Thursday night and heavy contingents of police had been deployed to restrict his movement.Talking to reporters at his house, Shahzain said he might challenge the order in the high court. “There is no justification for restricting my movements within Quetta. I am going to my home (in Dera Bugti) in a peaceful march,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the court would allow him to go to Dera Bugti. He said he would not abandon his plans and would try again on Saturday to start the march.
The JWP leader said people belonging to his tribe and party had gathered at his residence after Friday prayers, but police cordoned off the area with barricades and armoured vehicles and did not let his party's vehicles to leave for the march.
When the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Hamid Shakeel, informed Shahzain and his brother that they could not leave the provincial capital, the JWP leader said women and children should be allowed to go to Dera Bugti.
The authorities informed him about two hours later that the government could not allow them to go to Dera Bugti because of security reasons and tightened the blockade of roads leading to his house.
However, Ghoram Bugti said late in the night that the women and children would leave for Dera Bugti on Saturday. Official sources said they would not be allowed to move towards Dera Bugti without security clearance.
“He is free to move within Quetta city,” Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said.
