Govt threatens arrest if Akhtar Mengal enters Quetta
Police vehicles are parked outside the Lakpass Tunnel as authorities block the entrance with shipping containers during a sit-in protest by the BNP-M on the outskirts of Quetta. Photo: AFP
A day after warning Sardar Akhtar Mengal's BNP against entering the red zone of the provincial capital as part of its ongoing protest, the provincial government announced on Sunday that it would arrest the BNP chief if he attempted to enter Quetta.
Mengal, leading the BNP's long march, had vowed to reach Quetta on April 6 (Sunday) to protest against the alleged enforced disappearances of political workers in Balochistan and the arrest of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch.
According to the provincial government, two rounds of talks were held with BNP leadership, during which they were asked to hold their protest at Quetta's Shahwani Stadium. However, the party had refused, and insisted on marching to the city's red zone.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the scheduled protest on Saturday, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said strict legal action will be taken against any violations of the law.
"The government is showing restraint, but any attempt to breach Section 144 or provoke unrest will be met with a firm response," Rind had said.
Meanwhile, the administration placed containers on entry routes and stationed a large number of security forces personnel to effectively prevent BNP leaders and workers from entering the city.
On Sunday, Rind took to social media platform X, warning that BNP chief Akhtar Mengal would be arrested if he attempted to enter Quetta.
"The administration informed Mengal at 6:00 am about the orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), but he refused to surrender. If he enters Quetta, they will be arrested," Rind wrote, adding that law enforcement personnel had been deployed to enforce order.
The government also criticized the party's call to block national highways, describing it as an attempt to disrupt daily life and increase public suffering. Shahid Rind said clear instructions had been issued to all district administrations that no highway would be allowed to be closed.
Meanwhile, residents across Balochistan expressed concerns over possible travel disruptions. In a separate post, the BNP shared a video claiming that law enforcement agencies had fired shells at a gathering of party workers at Quetta's Sona Khan Chowk.
White smoke was seen rising in the distance in the footage shared online.
Earlier, Mengal had also posted on X, stating that he and his supporters were surrounded by security forces at Lak Pass and that a major operation seemed imminent.
In response, the BNP announced protests across the province, alleging that the current government had launched a crackdown on its leaders and workers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Modi opens Chenab bridge
This photograph taken and released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) on 6 June 2025 shows India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding national flag during the inauguration of the Chenab Rail Bridge in Reasi, Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Photo AFP Listen to article Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Friday since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the contested region he called "the crown jewel of India". "Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss," the Hindu nationalist premier told crowds a month since India launched strikes on its neighbour after an attack on tourists in Kashmir. "Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve," Modi said after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic. "This is a symbol and celebration of rising India," he said of the Chenab Bridge which connects two mountains. New Delhi calls the Chenab span the "world's highest railway arch bridge", sitting 359 metres (1,117 feet) above a river. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air. Around 150 people protested against the project on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad in Azad jammu and Kashmir. "We want to tell India that building bridges and laying roads in the name of development will not make the people of Kashmir give up their demand for freedom," said Azir Ahmad Ghazali, who organised the rally attended by Kashmiris who fled unrest on the Indian side in the 1990s. "In clear and unequivocal terms, we want to say to the Indian government that the people of Kashmir have never accepted India's forced rule." Modi also announced further government financial support for families whose relatives were killed, or whose homes were damaged, during the brief conflict --- mainly in shelling along the Line of Control. "Their troubles are our troubles," Modi said.
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
US can force India into 'dialogue with Pakistan'
Listen to article Head of a high-level parliamentary delegation Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday said US President Donald Trump should encourage India to engage in a "comprehensive dialogue" with Pakistan. The delegation is visiting Washington DC to present Islamabad's position following a recent military standoff with New Delhi. Weeks after their worst military confrontation in decades, India and Pakistan have dispatched top lawmakers to press their cases in the United States, where President Donald Trump has shown eagerness for diplomacy between them. After crisscrossing the world, the delegations descended this week at the same time on Washington, which played a key mediatory role in a ceasefire after four days of fighting between the nuclear-armed adversaries in May. In strikingly similar strategies, the rival delegations are both led by veteran politicians who have been critical of their countries' governments and are known for their ease in speaking to Western audiences. Pakistan has embraced an active role for the Trump administration while India, which has close relations with Washington, has been more circumspect and has long refused outside mediation on the Kashmir dispute. "Just like the United States and President Trump played a role in encouraging us to achieve this ceasefire, I believe they should play their part in encouraging both sides to engage in a comprehensive dialogue," said former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose Pakistan People's Party says it belongs neither to the governing coalition nor opposition. "I don't quite understand the Indian government's hesitance," Bilawal told AFP. "I'm the first to criticise the United States for so many reasons, but where they do the right thing, where they do the difficult task of actually achieving a ceasefire, they deserve appreciation." Bilawal, recalling how his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was killed in a terror attack, said Pakistan was ready to discuss terrorism with India but that Kashmir as a "root cause" also needed to be on the table. He said that India was establishing a dangerous new precedent in South Asia where whenever there is a terrorist attack in any country, "you go straight to war". "I think that the fate of 1.7 billion people and our two great nations should not left in the hands of these nameless, faceless, non-state actors and this new normal that India is trying to impose on the region," he said. The two delegations have no plans to meet in Washington. NEW NORMAL Trump has repeatedly credited his administration with averting nuclear war and said the United States had negotiated an agreement to hold talks between the two sides at a neutral site, an assertion that met India's silence. India's delegation is led by one of its most prominent opposition politicians, Shashi Tharoor, a former senior UN official and writer. He said he was putting the national interest first, despite disagreements domestically with Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor said he heard "total support and solidarity for India" during his meetings with US lawmakers and a "complete understanding of India's right to defend itself against terrorism." Tharoor also noted that former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto Zardari's father, had advocated peace with India but was in power during the siege of Mumbai on November 26, 2008. "If they can't control what they're doing to us, why bother to talk to them?" said Tharoor, who pointed to the outsized role of the military in Pakistan. A high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met with US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington said in Tweet on Friday. During the meeting, Bilawal appreciated the role played by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in facilitating the Pakistan-India ceasefire expressed the hope that it would create space for sustainable peace and stability in South Asia through dialogue. "Pakistan delegation held a productive meeting with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker," the embassy said on X. "The delegation shared its concern over India's unprovoked aggression, continued hostile rhetoric, and unlawful suspension of IWT [Indus Water Treaty]," it added. (With additional input from News Desk)
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Punjab gears up for safe, clean Eid
The Punjab government has launched an extensive security and sanitation operation across the province to ensure public safety and maintain hygiene during the three-day religious festival. A centralised coordination system involving the Home Department, police, local governments and waste management companies has been activated. Officials say the integrated effort aims to deliver a safe and clean environment for citizens celebrating Eid. A round the clock Central Control Room has been established in Lahore under the supervision of the Punjab Home Secretary. The Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR), the control room will monitor all districts around the clock and coordinate law enforcement efforts and government directives. Enforcement of Section 144 has been put in place in several areas of the province. The orders prohibit public slaughter of animals, swimming or boating in rivers, canals, or dams, and the disposal of animal waste into manholes or waterways. Additional bans include the use of fireworks, drones, laser lights, pigeon flying, and installation of temporary mechanical rides within a 15-kilometre radius of any airport or airbase. The home department also announced a crackdown on unauthorised collection of animal hides. "No proscribed organisation will be allowed to collect hides," a spokesperson stated. Only registered and certified charities with the Punjab Charity Commission will be permitted to do so. Lahore police have finalised an elaborate security plan for Eid, deploying over 9,000 personnel across the city. The operation will be supervised by 6 Superintendents of Police (SPs), 22 Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs), and 83 Station House Officers (SHOs). The Dolphin and PRU forces will be on high alert, with more than 1,600 officers in the field, supported by 700 traffic officers to manage Eid traffic. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority will monitor Eid congregations, mosques, and imambargahs through surveillance systems. "All religious gatherings will be under close watch, and any violation of the government's directives will result in strict action," said Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamyana. Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq described the sanitation plan as a "challenge," particularly as over 360,000 tons of animal waste are expected across the province during Eid. Speaking at a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat, the minister said the targets set by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz were "ambitious but achievable." To tackle the enormous cleanup task, 11.69 million biodegradable bags will be distributed. Over 124,000 sanitation workers, supported by 15,204 temporary recruits, will work under the Suthra Punjab programme. The operation will utilise 125,794 machines and vehicles, in addition to the existing 29,638 sanitation units. Officials have designated 3,870 primary collection points and 4,262 union council-level camps, along with 1,661 collective slaughter sites to discourage public slaughtering. To monitor cleanliness in real time, all waste management and municipal offices have established local control rooms, while the central control room in Lahore will oversee the province-wide operation. "There will be zero tolerance for negligence," said Minister Rafiq. "Photographic evidence of all cleaning activities must be submitted and public awareness campaigns must include participation from elected local representatives." Following Eid, authorities will spray rose water and phenyl on roads for sanitation. Additionally, 2.83 million kilograms of lime will be used to disinfect affected areas. Evening roadside sales of sacrificial animals have been strictly prohibited, and officials have been directed to conduct regular inspections to ensure compliance. "No reports of livestock-related diseases or dengue have been received so far," Minister Rafiq noted, confirming that Livestock, Municipal, and District Administration officers are working in close coordination. As the province gears up for the Eid holidays, the Punjab government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a safe, hygienic, and peaceful environment for all citizens.
