Pakistan bans shadowy Baluchistan group

ISLAMABAD, Apr 9 (Reuters) Pakistan has banned a shadowy militant group fighting for more autonomy in its restive southwestern Baluchistan province after listing it as a ''terrorist'' organisation, officials said today.

The ban on the Baluch Liberation Army (BLA) came amid growing militant attacks on government installations and security forces in Pakistan's biggest but poorest province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

The BLA has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in recent months, including the one in February in which three Chinese engineers were killed.

''Since BLA itself has claimed responsibilities for terrorist acts in Baluchistan, we have put a ban on it and declared it a terrorist organisation,'' a senior interior ministry official told Reuters.

He said the activities of the group will be monitored and its source of funding and offices would be sealed.

''Each member of this organisation will remain under surveillance and he will be tried in special anti-terrorist court instead of normal one if he is found involved in any unlawful activity,'' the official said on condition of anonymity.

Baluch nationalist politicians criticised the move, saying it would further alienate the people of the province.

''This will create more mistrust and hatred among Baluchs towards Islamabad as it seems the central government has opened a new front against Baluch population,'' said Sanaullah Baluch, secretary-general of the provincial Baluchistan National Party.

Baluch militants have been fighting for more autonomy and control over the oil and gas resources of their region for decades but they intensified their campaign over the past year.

Baluchs complain of a lack of political representation and resent their resources being used to benefit Pakistan's other regions, most notably the populous Punjab province.

The security situation worsened in the province after a rocket attack in December when President Pervez Musharraf was visiting Kohlu town.

Set up in 1970s, BLA is the first nationalist group to be banned by Pakistan in recent years.

The government has banned several Islamist militant groups since Pakistan joined the US-led war on terrorism after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

REUTERS SY KP1705