Sardar Attaullah Mengal, a veteran Baloch leader breathed his last on Thursday evening in a hospital in Karachi city.
According to reports, Sardar Ataullah Mengal was suffering from a protracted illness. Balochistan National Party- Mengal (BNP-M) confirmed the demise of Mr Mengal. BNP’s legislator Sanaullah Baloch, announced the demise of Sardar Mengal on Twitter.
Sardar Mengal remained the Chief Minister of Balochistan from May 1st, 1972 to February 1973. His government was overthrown by the then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The Bhutto government also imprisoned Sardar Mengal under the famous Hyderabad conspiracy case along with veteran Pashtoon and Baloch leaders including late Khan Abdul Wali Khan, late Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, and others.
After the fall of Bhutto’s government, Sardar Mengal went to self-exile and spent many years in London. He returned to Balochistan in the late 1990s and formed the Balochistan National Party (BNP), which emerged as one of the largest parliamentary parties during the general elections.
Sardar Mengal also headed the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONM). His son, Sardar Akhtar Mengal was elected as Chief Minister of Balochistan and remained CM from 1997 to 1998.
Sardar Mengal belonged to the Wadh Tehsil of district Khuzdar. He was considered to be one of the prominent voices for Baloch rights. BNP has announced the burial of Sardar Mengal at his ancestral graveyard in Wadh, at 3 pm on Friday.