The prospect of ongoing instability could have a considerable economic and social impact on countries throughout Central Asia. Earlier in April, the risk of a large-scale clash between government troops and local tribesmen appeared acute. Both sides had built fortified military positions along a highway and in the surrounding hills outside the town of Dera Bugti, not far from the Sui gas field. On April 16, though, regional officials announced a negotiated end to the stand-off, and the bunkers and other military strongholds were abandoned.The confrontation traces its origin to early January rape of Shazia Khalid, a doctor. Local tribal leaders accused a Pakistani army officer of the crime and armed tribesmen took the law into their own hands, disrupting gas supplies from the Sui complex and engaging in other acts of defiance toward central authorities. Officials at first denied the officer's involvement, and a government inquiry subsequently cleared him wrongdoing. But the government's actions did not satisfy local concerns and festering tension eventually exploded. A day-long firefight March 17 between tribesmen and government soldiers left dozens dead and wounded, including a large number of civilian victims of an army artillery barrage, tribal leaders alleged.
Although the latest stand-off was connected to a matter of honor, the tribal resistance to the Pakistani government is deeply rooted in economic issues. Over the past decade, Pakistan has been trying to develop several mega-projects in the impoverished province, and in connection with these efforts, President Pervez Musharraf's administration has bolstered the Pakistani military's local presence. The projects have stirred concern among regional residents and their political leaders, prompting Baluch nationalist leader to call for a detailed political agreement that would cover economic and military expansion projects.