BNP-M ends 20-day Mastung sit-in over activists' arrest
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
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The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Wednesday announced the end of its 20-day sit-in protest at Lak Pass, Mastung, which had been staged against the arrests of Baloch rights activists including Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Dr Mahrang Baloch.
BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal, addressing supporters, said the protest was being called off to avoid further disruption to the public, particularly due to road closures affecting critical trade and transport links, Express News reported.
The party will now hold rallies in various districts across Balochistan instead, Mengal said, adding that BNP-M's central committee will meet in Quetta on April 18 to finalise its strategy.
The sit-in began after the detention of Dr Mahrang Baloch and 16 other persons during a protest camp in Quetta.
Days earlier, the group had accused law enforcement of beating three of their supporters to death.
BYC member Sammi Deen Baloch was also arrested during related demonstrations in Karachi but was later released.
The protest had severely disrupted commerce, with the Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Taftan highways blocked, leaving over 1,200 cargo vehicles, including LPG tankers, stranded at the Pak-Iran border.
The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) estimated daily financial losses in the millions.
Earlier this week, BNP-M convened an All Parties Conference in Quetta, where nine resolutions were passed.
The declaration called for the enforcement of constitutional rights linked to Balochistan's 1948 Instrument of Accession and urged a national dialogue to address longstanding grievances.
Despite ending the sit-in, Mengal vowed the party would not abandon its demands for justice and accountability.
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