The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) sit-in continued for its seventh day in Mastung as party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Thursday announced three demands during its protest against the recent arrests of right activists.
The BNP-M had announced a “long march” from Wadh to Quetta last Friday to protest against the arrests of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, as well as the police crackdown on their sit-in in Quetta. Sammi was released on Tuesday.
A day earlier, Mengal announced that he would announce new demonstrations on Thursday (today) as talks with a government delegation bore no fruit. The sit-in, which is currently at Lakpass, is being attended by BNP-M leadership, political and tribal leaders, and families of missing persons. The PTI and its ally Sunni Ittehad Council also expressed solidarity with the BNP-M.
While addressing the sit-in this morning, Mengal said: “The government can continue to use force as per its wishes, but it will be held responsible for the consequences.
“Despite the end of the second round of talks with the government’s negotiation team, the deadlock persists,” he said.
The BNP-M chief said the party has three demands: “Either release all prisoners of the BYC, including women, or then let us march on to Quetta, where we can hold a peaceful sit-in there. Or then arrest us.”
Mengal said these demands were presented before the provincial government delegation comprising Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, Ubaidullah Gorgage, as well as Additional Home Chief Secretary Zahid Saleem, and the Kalat Commissioner.
“There are no demands other than this, nor is there any other option,” Mengal said. “We have presented our clear demands to the government from day one.”
Mengal said the government’s delegation had asked for more time for consultation after the second round of talks. “The deadlock persists despite two more days being sought for consultation, which ends tonight.”
He added: “If all prisoners, including women, are not released, we will march towards Quetta.”
BNP-M central leader and former senator told Dawn.com that all national highways were closed due to government incompetence.
“BNP has held its sit-in on one side of the Mastung National Highway. However, the government has closed all major and minor highways leading to Quetta, including the Lakpass Tunnel, Mastung, and Kolpur.
“The Balochistan government is the only government in the world that shuts its roads and causes inconvenience to its people,” he said.
He noted that after the government halted the long march, the number of participants at the sit-in increased instead of decreasing because people wanted the recovery of their loved ones, which is why they were joining the sit-in in droves.
The BNP-M leader expressed his hope that not only would Mengal free the Baloch women and children, but will play his role in the recovery of missing persons.
“Sardar Akhtar Mengal is the only leader who is waging a peaceful political struggle,” he said.
Baloch noted that due to the shutdown of mobile networks and internet in different areas of Quetta, not only were the people facing difficulties, but the situation would worsen.
Quetta’s land connection with 12 other districts in Balochistan has been cut off for the past seven days due to the closure of highways, including the Quetta-Karachi National Highway, as the administration has dug ditches on Lakpass and surrounding highways.
