Quetta: The protest sit-in organized by the Balochistan National Party (BNP) at Lak Pass entered its 13th consecutive day, as no breakthrough has been achieved in securing the release of female leaders and activists of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).
The protest, led by BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, was initially intended to culminate in Quetta on March 28. However, authorities blocked key roads and highways, preventing the marchers from entering the city, forcing them to set up a sit-in at Lak Pass instead.
To obstruct the protesters’ movement toward Quetta, the Lak Pass Tunnel on the Quetta-Karachi Highway was completely sealed off, and barriers were also placed on three alternative routes. These restrictions caused severe difficulties for ordinary commuters on the Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Taftan highways. Though vehicles have been allowed to use an alternative route via Dasht since April 6, traffic congestion has significantly increased travel time to Quetta from Lak Pass.
Despite no formal announcement from the protestors about resuming their march toward Quetta, heavy contingents of police and security personnel remain deployed along the Quetta–Lak Pass corridor due to ongoing concerns.
Since March 28, two rounds of formal negotiations between the BNP and the government have been held, but both ended in a stalemate.
In a separate development aimed at addressing the growing unrest following the arrest of BYC female leaders and activists, a delegation from the National Party, led by party head and former Chief Minister Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, met with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.
Following the meeting at Jati Umra, National Party Secretary General Jan Muhammad Buledi stated that they discussed the complex and deteriorating political, economic, and social situation in Balochistan in detail. Dr. Baloch also briefed Nawaz Sharif on the arrest of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other political activists, and the subsequent protest and deadlock in negotiations.
Dr. Baloch requested Nawaz Sharif to play a proactive role in resolving the crisis. According to Buledi, Nawaz Sharif agreed to take steps to address the issues in consultation with the Prime Minister and other officials and acknowledged the urgency of resolving Balochistan's grievances. Both leaders agreed that the situation in Balochistan is alarming and requires immediate attention.
