Sardar Akhtar Mengal, leader of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), has strongly criticized the Sindh government for its “discriminatory” policies towards Baloch residents in Karachi’s Lyari, Malir, and other areas. He expressed regret over the treatment of the Baloch people and condemned the recent decision requiring hosts to register their guests’ details at local police stations.
Mengal stated that such measures are designed to harass visitors and cause mental distress. “It seems as though the Baloch are not considered citizens of this country,” he said, adding that the constitution grants every citizen the right to live wherever they choose without such restrictions.
He also criticized former President Asif Ali Zardari, who claims himself to be of Baloch descent, for contributing to the mistreatment of the community. “Today, the Baloch of Karachi are made to feel like a subjugated nation. Despite their sacrifices for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), including those during the Karsaz tragedy, the Baloch in Sindh remain deprived of basic human rights and live in extreme backwardness,” Mengal remarked.
He accused the PPP of stripping the Baloch in Lyari, Malir, and other areas of their right to live freely. The recent policy requiring police approval for hosting guests, he said, is intolerable, especially when hotel stays are also made unnecessarily difficult for Baloch visitors.
Mengal called on the Sindh government to immediately revoke these measures, which he labeled as violations of human rights. He urged authorities to end their discriminatory behavior toward the Baloch and to respect their rights as equal citizens.