President blamed for rising conflict

Lahore: The International Crisis Group has held President Pervez Musharraf and the army responsible for the worsening conflict in the Balochistan province.

The 2006 Asia report of the ICG says that tensions between the government and its Baloch opposition have grown because of Islamabad's heavy-handed armed response to Baloch militancy and its refusal to negotiate demands for political and economic autonomy.

"The killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in August 2006 sparked riots and will likely lead to more confrontation. The conflict could escalate if the government insists on seeking a military solution to what is a political problem and the international community, especially the US, fails to recognise the price that is involved for security in Afghanistan," it says.