Raziq Bugti denied fateha in Balochistan Assembly Fateha offered for Zahir Shah Deputy speaker says assembly can’t offer prayers for ‘every one’ By Malik Siraj Akbar The Balochistan Assembly categorically refused to offer fateha on Monday for slain provincial government spokesman Raziq Bugti, who was killed in broad daylight in Quetta last month. Chairing the session, Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bothani did not allow the house to offer fateha for Raziq Bugti. Soon after the commencement of Monday’s session, the assembly did, however, offer fateha for Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan, the father of a provincial minister and a religious figure. When Nasreen Katharan, a member from the treasury benches, asked the house to also offer prayers for Raziq Bugti, the speaker remarked that the house was not meant to offer fatehas for “everybody”. He said, “We can do that [offer fateha] some other time,” and moved the Balochistan Assembly proceedings forward. Raziq Bugti, 57, had attracted much flak form the Baloch for vociferously defending what they viewed as contentious decisions by the federal government, such as the military operation in the province, major development projects, the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, and the issue of forced disappearances. “Obviously, we do not support the idea of offering fateha for Bugti as we consider him an enemy of the Baloch people who celebrated the killing of our innocent Baloch brethren in Dera Bugti, Kohlu and other parts of the province. However, we are equally surprised at the apathy demonstrated by the provincial government towards its most important people,” said Rehmat Baloch, an opposition MPA from the National Party. Daily Times 7.8.07