Balochistan National Party (BNP) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal was barred from traveling abroad on Sunday after being offloaded from a Dubai-bound flight at Quetta International Airport.
Mengal, a former Member of the National Assembly, said immigration officials informed him during boarding that his name had been placed on the Provincial National Identification List (PNIL), which restricts international travel.
“I was traveling to Dubai when immigration staff told me that my name is on the PNIL, and I was offloaded,” he said in a statement on social media, adding that he had not been notified of the restriction in advance.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the BNP leadership and party workers, who described the move as “politically motivated.” A party spokesperson accused state institutions of “targeting democratic voices in Balochistan under the guise of administrative procedures.”
“This is an attempt to suppress dissent and undermine the leadership of nationalist parties,” the spokesperson said. The party demanded an immediate explanation and the removal of Mengal’s name from the list.
The Provincial National Identification List is maintained by government authorities to restrict the movement of individuals in certain legal or security-related circumstances. However, rights groups and opposition parties have long criticised the list’s use, alleging it often lacks transparency and bypasses legal safeguards.