User:Kamalb90/Dera Bugti

Dera Bugti (Urdu: ڈیرہ بگٹی) is a town in Dera Bugti District in the province of Balochistan in Pakistan. The 'Dera' in Dera Bugti is a Balochi word for 'habitat', and 'Bugti' is the name of a major Baloch tribe. Dera Bugti has a population of about 18,500 and is situated at an elevation of 451 m (1,480 ft) above sea level. It was the hometown of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, who was killed by Pakistan's Army in August 2006 because of direct orders from Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf. Dera Bugti is the homeland of the two largest Bugti tribes, the Rahija clan and the Kalpar clan. Most of the inhabitants of Dera Bugti belong to the royal Bugti family.

Over the past five years, Dera Bugti has been a place for violence and bloodshed. There have been clashes within the Bugti tribe and between the Bugti tribe and the Pakistan Army. The gas-rich region of Dera Bugti has fueled the violence in the area as the Bugti tribal group push for greater autonomy and political and economic rights.

History
Dera Bugti was one of the last areas to fall to the British Colonial Empire. The Bugtis, traditionally recognized as brave warriors, fought off the British imperialism's force courageously for numerous years. They fought multiple battles against the British troops during the nineteenth century as they wanted to continue to be independent. However, in the last 25 years of the 19th century, the British overcame the resilient Bugtis due to its overpowering strength. The British Government's rule and authority extended over the area and was administered as part of the Sibi District until 1974. In 1974,the district was subdivided to create Nasirabad District and Kohlu District. Kohlu District was again divided in July 1983 to form the Dera Bugti District, which included Dera Bugti. The British no longer rule the area. The Bugtis, under Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, were in charge of the area until Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's death in August 2006. Since then, the Pakistan Army has gained controlled over the land, which has angered the Bugti tribe and resulted an increase in violence.

Geography and Climate


Dera Bugti is situated in a hill range that is part of the Sulaiman Mountains. Dera Bugti consists of rugged terrain, resulting in very little infrastructure such as roads. Dera Bugti's average temperature ranges from an average low of 8°C in the winter to an average high of 41°C during the summer. Summer starts in mid-May and continues till mid-September. During this period, the average high ranges from 35°C to 41°C, and the average low ranges from 24°C to 27°C. Autumn (fall) starts in mid-September and continues till mid-December. During this period, the average high ranges from 27°C to 35°C, and the average low ranges from 13°C to 24°C. Winter starts in mid-December and continues till early February. During this period, the average high ranges from 20°C to 23°C, and the average low ranges from 8°C to 9°C. Spring starts in early February and continues till mid-May. During this period, the average high ranges from 23°C to 40°C, and the average low ranges from 9°C  to 25°C. Unlike most of Pakistan, Dera Bugti does not experience a monsoon season of heavy rainfall. Dera Bugti experiences only 60 mm (2.4 in.) of annual rainfall.

Administration
Dera Bugti is the district headquarters of Dera Bugti District and the tehsil (subdistrict) of the same name. Dera Bugti Tehsil is administratively subdivided into three Union councils. Natural gas is the major mineral resource in the Dera Bugti District. It consists of four major natural gas fields: Sui gas field, Pir Koh Gas field, Loti Gas field and Uch Gas field.

Conflicts in Dera Bugti
Dera Bugti has been plagued by violence over the past two decades. This has included violence between the various clans within the Bugti tribe and between the Bugti tribe and the Pakistan Army. The Rahija-Kalpar feud within the Bugti tribe has strengthened since 1992. While such intra-tribal conflicts are are part of the Bugti tribe history, the two clans had co-existed in the past. However, in 1992, the violence between the clans grew enormously. Amir Hamza, son of Kalpar leader Khan Mohammad Kalpar, was allegedly killed by Rahija leader Nawab Akbar Bugti Khan in May 1992 in Dera Bugti during a local election. However, there is no proof that the son of the Kalpar leader was killed by the Rahija leader, and this is fact is still disputed today. The Kalpar leader got revenge in June 1992 by killing Salal Bugti, son of Rahija leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. From than on, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti's mission was to get revenge for his son's killing by removing the Kalpars from Dera Bugti and killing their top leaders.

There has been violence between the Bugti tribe and Pakistan government as well. This is because the Bugtis feel that the Pakistan government is taking away their political and economic rights and not letting them bee autonomous. Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, also known as Tiger of Balochistan, was the key figure in the fight for Dera's Bugti's autonomy. However, the Pakistan government is not willing to give in to the wishes of the Bugti tribe because of the economic impact that the Dera Bugti District has. Sui gas field, located in the Dera Bugti District, provides the whole country of Pakistan with over 40% of its natural gas. Therefore, the Pakistan government feels that if it provides autonomy to the Bugti tribe in the Dera Bugti region, then it will have a harder time obtaining the natural gas resources from Dera Bugti. These have led to clashes between the Bugti tribesmen and the Pakistan Army. For example, in July 2008, a gun battle between the Bugti tribe and the Pakistan Army killed 41 people, including 9 soldiers.