ISLAMABAD: Talal Bugti, the son of slain Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, has made the startling allegation that top state office holders had demanded Rs 500 million kickback in exchange for immediate release of the rent/royalty money of the gas fields in the Bugti area, not paid for the past six years.
In a telephonic talk with The News from Quetta, Talal Bugti named the three top men of the PPP government, the president, the governor of Balochistan and the interior adviser and said they were all partners in the proposed bribe.
However, the spokesmen for the president and the interior adviser strongly refuted the claim and described Talal’s claim as mere allegations for personal gain. Governor Balochistan Zulfiqar Magsi, when contacted by The News, refuted Bugti’s claims and denied involvement in any shady deal whatsoever.
“The office of the governor has nothing to do with such cases as this is the issue to be handled and settled through the federal and provincial governments,” the governor maintained.
As far as allegations are concerned, Magsi said, these could be levelled by anyone against anyone. “What should I say when Talal has come up with such baseless allegations.”
When asked about Talal’s point about last October’s orders of President Zardari for issuance of Rs500 million against pending amounts, the governor responded that he has knowledge about the meeting and “it is the government that has to settle the non-payment issue, if it exists.”
However, Talal Bugti said: “They are willing to pay me the outstanding dues (of about one billion rupees) but only after getting half of it either in advance or shortly following the release of the pending payment to my family.”
“There is a chain from the president down to the governor and Rehman Malik who want to distribute the amount among themselves. Certainly, they will eat up Rs 500 million,” Talal Bugti charged.
meetings in October with the president, the interior adviser and other influential figures at the federal level, he claimed that Zardari personally approved payment of Rs 300 million, fifty percent of which was the legitimate right of his children. This amount is to be deducted from the overall payment of the rent.
“After the president’s approval, I approached the Balochistan governor to obtain this amount who promised it in a few weeks but that day is yet to come.” Rehman Malik, Talal Bugti said, was present in the meeting with Zardari and had also supported the prompt release of Rs 300 million but “subsequently one Mr Aasi, a middle-man (broker) of the interior adviser, approached me demanding Rs 500 million.”
At one stage, Talal Bugti asked not to mention the name of the middleman but subjected Zardari, Rehman Malik and even the go-between to direct criticism. But then he named him as Aasi, who is closely working with the interior adviser as his confidant.
According to Bugti, the middleman also offered him to pay the kickback and the government could even increase the amount of rent of his family-owned 4,500 acres of land in the Bugti Agency five times.
He claimed that the outstanding dues, if calculated in accordance with the rates of the Hala gas fields, come to Rs 2.16 billion for the past six years. The government is engaged in exploring natural resources from Akbar Bugti’s 4,500 acres of land in the Bugti agency under officially declared agreement with Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC), Talal Bugti said.
He maintained that some other top government functionaries, including a DIG level official in Balochistan were also involved in securing Rs 500 million for the bosses and play the role of guarantors for enhanced rates of rent.
Talal Bugti refused to divulge the name of DIG level person, saying, such a disclosure will be a breach of trust. “We will neither pay the bribe nor get any favour under pressure as rent is our legitimate right duly accepted by the official side,” he said.
“It is clear that through his boss, the middle man is in a position to get approval for the release of the rent and increase the rental value through his influence in the power corridors,” he said.
According to the arrangement, Nawab Akbar Bugti’s family members are supposed to get Rs 360 million every year against 4,500 acres of land given to the OGDC in Och gas fields. Nawab Bugti had named his grandsons as beneficiaries of the rent accruing from this land after his death.
The government had fixed Rs 17,000 per acre as the rent amount at the Och gas field whereas the arrangement for the Hala gas field is entirely different with Rs 80,000 per acre rent in addition to the money for annual crops.
“I plan to meet Nawaz Sharif and will also move the court of law to seek justice, to get the due amount released and to seek increase on the rental amount to bring it at par with other gas fields,” he said.
Talal Bugti said that the Balochistan governor deliberately blocked the release of the amount to please not only the president and the interior adviser but also to get personal benefits. “Governor Zulfiqar Magsi has come up with a new demand that the Bugti family should submit power of attorney, which is not required in the presence of the agreement.”
When asked about other reasons behind stoppage of rental amount, he said the central authorities were asking for his help to stop the blasts in the Bugti area. “But this is neither in our control nor is it part of the agreement.”
A presidential spokesman categorically denied the charges, saying neither has Asif Zardari contacted nor approached through any person to get any kickback, as claimed by Talal Bugti. Describing the accusations as “rubbish”, the spokesman, Farahatullah Babar, who also holds the same portfolio in his PPP, said: “The president does not get himself involved in such practices.”
In response to a question, he said that the president’s orders are implemented by the concerned authorities and the rent amount should have been paid to Bugti if so endorsed by him. “Yes, I am giving out this statement on behalf of the president of Pakistan that he is a man with clear hands and never indulges in practices involving bribe in any form,” Babar further said.
At the same time, he said he was not aware whether the president had given any approval for the release of outstanding amount to Nawab Akbar Bugti’s heirs. “But the president cannot resort to such measures as alleged by Talal Bugti.”
Interior adviser’s personal staff member Aasi, when contacted, contended that he had met Talal Bugti just once along with Rehman Malik in Quetta. “I have neither played the role of a middle man nor asked Talal Bugti to provide any amount.”
Rehman Malik could not be contacted despite repeated efforts, but Aasi maintained Bugti does not have a single penny so how can he pay such a hefty amount of Rs 500 million to anyone. “It’s a subject you should talk to my boss,” he finally responded when his attention was drawn towards Bugti’s claim about the authorities’ demand from the amount to be released.
Aasi levelled counter charges, saying Talal Bugti’s close confidant, Madni, had approached Rehman Malik and him (Aasi) to get 250,000 pounds sterling. “Bugti wanted this money under the garb of his medical treatment.”
