No property, inheritance dispute behind DHA tribal clash, says Bugti’s grandson

It is a common perception that when there is bloodshed resulting from infighting within a tribe, it is because of familial or financial issues or struggle for power. Often disputes over who should be next in line to the seat of the tribal chief, inheritance or land result in violent clashes within tribal groups.

Recently, members of two groups of the Bugti tribe clashed with each other in the posh DHA area of Karachi resulting in the deaths of five people belonging to both sides and injuries to two others.

Among those who were killed, on one side was Fahad Bugti, the son of the slain Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti’s younger brother and his gunman. The casualties of the other side included Fahad Bugti's rival Ali Haider, the nephew of Akbar Bugti. He was injured in the armed clash. However, his two sons and a guard were killed.

The shocking incident occurred late at night on July 25 in the upscale locality of Nishat Commercial in Defence. The armed clash lased for around 10 minutes and the news spread like wildfire within seconds.

CCTV footage and police investigations have revealed that Fahad’s was not the belligerent side. However, police are yet to ascertain which group initiated the firing after Fahad was intercepted by Haider and his group.

Initially, the impression was that clash was a result of old enmity or some dispute over land or inheritance. However, Washane Bugti, the grandson of Akbar Bugti and Fahad’s nephew, disagrees with this perception. He maintained that Fahad had no dispute over property, land, inheritance or succession with Haider and the only reason Haider targeted Fahad was the fact that people of the Bugti tribe who were oppressed by Haider would come to seek help from Fahad over legal and other matters.

"We have no property issues with them, no land disputes, no inheritance conflicts, and no leadership or successorship issues. We had no direct link with them," explained Washane in an exclusive chat with The News. "Our only fault is that our tribe’s chief Nawab Mir Ali is anti-social and does nothing for the people of the tribe. As a result, people bring their problems to us, and we support them legally as much as possible. Most of the people who come to us have been oppressed by Ali Haider's group because Ali Haider's people are essentially criminal elements." He said Haider and his men were involved in extortion as well as theft of wheat.

Washane stated that the July 25 incident was not the first time Haider tried to kill Fahad as he had also previously made unsuccessful attempts. He added that police were informed by Fahad multiple times about threats to his life but no significant action was taken.

"Ali Haider's people have an issue with us simply because we help those who fall victim to their oppression, which is why they have become our enemies," Washane explained.

"This issue escalated significantly last Ramazan when Ali Haider's group attempted an attack on us. We even filed an FIR against them. Three SHOs were changed at Darakhshan and Sahil police stations, and we complained multiple times. We even reached out to Khadim Hussain Rind Sb, the additional IG Karachi at that time, saying, 'Sir, what do you want? Should this issue be resolved on the roads with bloodshed because you are not taking any action?' And this is exactly what happened," he said.

He claimed that dozens of FIRs had been registered against Haider’s group but there was none against Fahad. He lamented that police took the matter lightly and eventually it resulted in a tribal warfare on a street of DHA.

He added that Haider exploited his relationship with Nawab Akbar Bugti. “They used Nawab Sahib's name everywhere, whether the police or Rangers caught them; they always claimed to be Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's nephews. The extent to which they tarnished Nawab Sahib's name is perhaps unmatched."

Washane said that on the night of July 25, his uncle was at his flat in Nishat Commercial and followed his usual routine. However, he had been under surveillance for several days as Haider’s group came fully prepared after thorough surveillance.

“The CCTV footage clearly shows what happened,” he said, adding that Haider’s group surrounded Fahad on both sides and opened fire. “The impression that my uncle was called and lured into this situation is false. We had no contact with them; they carried out the attack after detailed planning and reconnaissance.”

He also dismissed reports that two of the vehicles in the incident belonged to Fahad’s group. “It's surprising that a senior police officer would make such a mistake by stating that Fahad Bugti arrived in two vehicles. The reality is that Fahad Sahib was surrounded by one vehicle from the front and another from behind, and my uncle was attacked in between.”

Washane recalled that prior to July 25, the last time Haider’s group attacked them was after the last Eidul Fitr. He said that he and his men were targeted by Haider’s men.

“They had repeatedly circled our homes, and there is footage of this. Despite our attempts to avoid confrontation, they seemed intent on provoking us. We reported these incidents to the police with the expectation of assistance, but found the Darakhshan and Sahil police stations to be ineffective.”

Explaining their tribal issues, Washane said that after the Dera Bugti district in Balochistan, the Bugti tribe lived in large numbers in the Sanghar district of Sindh where they also possessed lands. “Nawab Mir Ali, who was mistakenly given the title of ‘pagri’, is the chief of our tribe. We view him as ineffective and an anomaly in Baloch history, being an anti-social Nawab,” he remarked.

He added that the two sons of Haider who were killed on July 25 were also Nawab Mir Ali's nephews. He was of the view that although Nawab Mir had overlooked his brother-in-law Haider’s transgressions in the past, he had become the primary beneficiary of the post-July 22 situation, as Haider, who was lying injured and whose two sons were killed, had become a challenge to his authority.

Washane called for a fair police investigation into the case. He stated that he and other allies of Fahad were still under threat. He said the situation could escalate into familial enmity, potentially putting them or their family at risk in the future.

When The News contacted South DIG Asad Raza, he mentioned that police investigations were under way and the case had been filed against both parties. He added that while it was clear that Haider's group was aggressive, the specifics of who initiated the firing were still being ascertained.

The DIG also noted that despite previously serving as the SSP in District South, no one had approached him regarding such matters before. He assured that the police were conducting the investigations impartially and all the facts would be revealed soon. The News also tried to contact Haider for comments but he was not available.