Denouncing the killing of tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in an army operation as a “political nightmare”, the Pakistani media today said his death could fuel Baloch nationalism and could end up as the second biggest blunder by the military since the execution of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979.

The 80-year-old Bugti was killed in the Balochistan province on Saturday that left 38 armed rebels and 21 security personnel dead, triggering massive rioting during which a protestor was shot dead.

“Whoever in the national security establishment decided to eliminate Nawab Bugti physically is clueless about the force of politics, history and nationalism,” Daily Times said in its editorial. “Nawab Bugti, already 80 plus, wanted a heroic death for many personal, provincial and extra-provincial reasons. Whoever took military action against him has granted him his wish to be a martyr,” it said.

“Political support to the Musharraf establishment and the PML-Q government is at its lowest ebb. Balochistan will be ready to ignite at any time in the future... This is the biggest blunder committed by the military since the execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” it added.

In its editorial, Dawn said, “It is distressing to find the president congratulating the country’s security forces for their ‘successful operation’ that killed Nawab Akbar Bugti and several of his companions in the Bhambore hills of Balochistan... Bugti’s killing could easily lead to a recrudescence of nationalist sentiment, not merely in Balochistan but also in Sindh, and the acts of sabotage in Balochistan which appeared to be waning may return in a more violent form,” it said.

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