Balochistan Natioal Party Mengal (BNP-Mengal) Sardar Akhtar Mengal addressed an All Parties Conference (APC) at the BNP’s sit-in near Lakpass, Mastung, on Monday, reaffirming his party’s commitment to the ongoing sit-in and expressing frustration over the treatment faced by political workers during their long march. The APC was attended by representatives of several political parties who had gathered to show solidarity with the protest.
Mengal said that the long march began from Wadh and encountered several obstructions along the way. When the convoy reached Mastung, he said the roads were closed, and they were met with tear gas and gunfire. Despite these challenges, the protestors reached Quetta and have been holding a sit-in for 17 cSonsecutive days, the BNP chief said.
Referring to recent government actions, Mengal claimed that a suicide attack was planned on the convoy which had failed. He also mentioned that protest leaders had been issued notices under the Maintenance of Public Order Act (3MPO), and the lawyers who had filed a petition against the “illegal detention” of Dr. Mahrang Baloch were forced to take an oath to not take any supposed step against the state of Pakistan.
Mengal questioned the practice of demanding loyalty oaths from lawyers, suggesting that people in Balochistan, especially those speaking Pashto, Balochi, or Brahvi, have long been treated with suspicion. He criticized what he described as selective accountability and suppression of dissent, arguing that speaking for one’s rights is being treated as a crime.
He also raised questions about the delay in legal decision regarding the release of the detained BYC leaders. Referring to the Balochistan High Courts’s decision to “reserve” its verdict on a petition challenging the “illegal detention of” BYC leaders, the BNP chief said that while verdicts are being “reserved,” they are in the hands of those who consider themselves above the constitution. Mengal expressed disappointment over being blocked from reaching Quetta to organize the APC and questioned the state of democracy where citizens are allegedly denied the right to express their grievances.
Mengal urged all parties to increase their participation in the sit-in and called on senior members from across political lines to join for at least eight days. He emphasized that the protest was not just about political positions but about dignity and justice for Balochistan.
He also pointed to the broader issue of representation and respect for voices from the region, especially women, saying that the concerns raised by Baloch girls are often ignored.
Concluding his speech, Mengal said he would consider the proposals made by different parties at the APC and has called a party meeting for the following day. He reiterated that his party would not bow to pressure and would continue to serve what he described as a duty to the land and its people.