Quetta: Sardar Akhtar Mengal, leader of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), has announced a decisive shift in the party’s political strategy, declaring a move toward national and public resistance after what he termed repeated disappointments from Pakistan’s Parliament and judiciary.
Speaking at a protest rally held late Friday night at Shahwani Stadium in the Sariab area of Quetta, organized by the BNP for the release of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other leaders and members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, Mengal criticized state institutions and vowed to continue the struggle through democratic resistance.
“This should not be interpreted as a withdrawal from our political movement,” Mengal asserted. “We will resist — and it will be the kind of resistance seen in democratic societies around the world. Whether or not you permit it is irrelevant to us.”
Mengal emphasized that the BNP now considers the Baloch nation and Balochistan itself as its constitution, and the people as its democracy. “We have been pushed to this path by your actions,” he said, addressing the state.
Responding to criticism about protests, he said, “If you don't want protests, stop committing injustices. Stop dishonoring our people, stop dragging our women through the streets, stop dumping the mutilated bodies of our youth. After all injustice, you expect us to stay silent and greet you with garlands?”
Mengal warned that if the oppression continues, the BNP will protest not only in cities but “outside your military cantonments as well.”
He also harshly criticized the judiciary for what he described as illegal detentions of women and political activists under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO) and for repeated delays in legal proceedings. “Instead of justice, courts keep giving new dates,” he said.
The BNP chief held Pakistan’s establishment and its flawed policies responsible for the current crisis in Balochistan, claiming that these institutions have driven the region to its present state of unrest.
Also addressing the rally, Nasrullah Baloch, Vice Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, alleged that the killing of missing persons in staged encounters continues unabated in Balochistan.
Several resolutions were passed during the rally, including demands for the immediate release of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Bebo Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee members. The resolutions also called for the release of political leaders such as PTI chairman Imran Khan and Ali Wazir, among others.
