Based on twitter reports | July 4, 2012

Dera Bugti, Sui, Asreli Chauki

Reports from Balochistan indicate that another Pakistan military operation is underway in Dera Bugti district (Sui and Asreli Chauki). There is speculation by Baloch on twitter that these operations are designed to drive residents from their lands in order to ease the way for foreign oil and gas company exploration in areas that are routinely attacked by Baloch nationalist freedom fighters. As is typical of these military operations, houses have been reported looted and burned to the ground and livestock killed.

The freedom fighters (sarmachars) are fighting, in part, for control of Balochistan's natural resources. Sui gaslines, in particular, are bombed by the nationalists on a regular basis.

Now that Pakistan has established Bugti Agency and cities like Quetta as 'no-go' areas for foreigners, it will be even harder to confirm news reported from Balochistan. Please see this July 2, 2012, Express Tribune report below:

Travel advisory: Govt issues list of "˜no go' areas for foreigners

LAHORE: The federal government on Sunday issued a list of prohibited areas for foreigners to visit and directed police and law enforcement agencies to bar entry of foreigners in these places, an official document revealed.

Cantonment areas - including all those places where sensitive and important installations fall - 10 miles from the Line of Control in Kashmir have been declared off limits for foreigners.

"The government of Pakistan has banned the entry of foreigners in these areas," read the contents of the circular issued by the National Crisis Management Cell of the Ministry of Interior.

This letter was also sent to the provincial home departments, provincial police chiefs and heads of other law enforcement agencies.

The so-called "no-go" areas for foreign visitors in Balochistan include Pishin, Quetta, Bugti Agency, Kohlu Agency, Sibi district, 35 miles border area of Qilla Saifullah, Zhob Agency, Loralai.

The government has also declared Mosa Khel in Punjab and Bannu district and the special scanning border area of Dera Ismail Khan as off limits for foreigners.

Police and law enforcement agencies have been directed to immediately implement these directions as precautionary security measure.