India flays Pakistan attack on Baloch rebels

NEW DELHI: India described the killing of a nationalist Pakistani rebel chief as a tragic loss on Monday and said peaceful negotiations rather than military force were needed to address problems in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province.

The Indian comments came after Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, a veteran Baloch leader, was killed at the weekend in a government attack on his cave-complex hideout.

"The unfortunate killing of the veteran Baloch leader is a tragic loss to the people of Balochistan and Pakistan," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said in a statement.

The attack and the heavy casualties in continuing military operations in Balochistan stressed the need for peaceful talks to address the grievances of the Baloch people, he said.

"Military force can never solve political problems. His death leaves a vacuum that will be difficult to fill," Sarna added.

The nuclear-armed neighbours have in recent months sparred over Balochistan with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of aiding Baloch rebels and expressing annoyance over its statements, calling it direct interference in Pakistan's internal affairs.

India denies charges of involvement in Balochistan but says it is concerned over the situation in its neighbourhood.

There were violent protests in Balochistan on Sunday and sporadic demonstrations on Monday over Bugti's killing.

Relations between India and Pakistan have hit a trough and a fragile peace process has taken a severe beating over New Delhi's allegations that Pakistan-based Islamist militant groups were behind terrorist attacks in India, including the Mumbai train bombings which killed 186 people last month.

Both sides hope that the process, launched nearly three years ago, will regain momentum after talks between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Cuba next month. Times of India 28 Aug, 2006