Latest news with #BNP-M
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
BNP demands release of detained Baloch women
The BNP has demanded the immediate release of detained Baloch women as it vowed to continue its protests till its demands are accepted. Addressing a rally in Quetta on Friday, BNP President Akhtar Mengal said the Baloch people had endured 75 years of injustice, declaring that the party would not back down until their legitimate demands were acknowledged and addressed. "The prisons are not new to us. We will not back down," Mengal asserted. He slammed the government for stopping the BNP's long march at Lak Pass, Mastung and barring the party from entering Quetta. The BNP-M rally drew a large crowd of flag-waving supporters, chanting in support of Baloch rights and reaffirming their commitment to continue nationwide protests. The public gathering came on the heels of a series of demonstrations demanding the recovery of missing persons. Strict security arrangements were put in place across the city, with a heavy police presence. Despite a tense atmosphere, the event remained peaceful and concluded without incident.
Express Tribune
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Mengal blasts PPP for arresting women in Balochistan
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of his faction of the BNP-M, on Friday lashed out at the PPP for arresting women in Balochistan, saying that even under Portuguese and British colonial rule or during martial law regimes, women were never taken into custody. He expressed these views during a public gathering held in Gwadar, where a large number of people, including women, children and the elderly, were present. "We are not here for political point scoring, but to raise our voice for the rights that have been denied to Balochistan," he said while addressing the crowd. Sardar Mengal said they are not afraid of being arrested, as their workers and colleagues have been detained during multiple authoritarian regimes. "We were arrested whether it was the dictatorship of General Ayub Khan or the era of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto," he added. He lamented that the PPP has always targeted Baloch youth, citing examples such as the Lyari gang war and the 1973 military operation in Balochistan. "They still say 'Bhutto Zinda Hai' - thank God he is not [alive], otherwise no home in Balochistan would have been spared," he said. He alleged that the very foundation of the PPP is built on the blood of Baloch youth. Questioning the state institutions, he said that courts can open at midnight to topple a government, but cannot listen to the grievances of the people of Balochistan. He added that Parliament can convene to pass a bill, but there is no room to hear the miseries of the Baloch people. "The state labels every voice raised against the atrocities in Balochistan as a terrorist. Today, Mahrang and Bebow are being labelled terrorists. Tomorrow, I too will be called one," he said. He said that despite having the latest technology, arms, and nuclear weapons, the state is afraid of Mahrang.
Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
BNP-M announces new round of rallies across Balochistan
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has announced upcoming rallies in Khuzdar on April 23, Gwadar on April 25, Noshki on April 27, and a major public gathering in Quetta on May 2. He said that when courts are unable to provide justice, people often feel compelled to raise their voices, as the party announced a new round of protest rallies following its 20-day sit-in in Lakpass. Mengal was speaking at a press conference at the BNP-M headquarters in Quetta on Friday, accompanied by former Member of National Assembly (MNA) Agha Hasan Baloch, Advocate Sajid Tarin, and other senior leaders. The meeting reviewed the outcomes of the sit-in and laid out the party's future strategy. Mengal commended BNP-M workers for their dedication during the prolonged protest, saying their perseverance under difficult conditions reflected the party's determination. He expressed concern over the recent agreement between the provincial government and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), suggesting it could compromise Balochistan's resource rights and the spirit of the 18th Amendment. "Such developments raise questions about provincial autonomy and the control of local resources," he noted. "We will continue to advocate for our constitutional rights through peaceful and democratic means," he said. Advocate Sajid Tarin stated that the BNP-M intended to approach the high court to challenge the mineral agreements, while Agha Hasan Baloch encouraged young people and women to take part in the rallies to help build a stronger future for the province. The BNP-M had 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.
Express Tribune
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Mengal calls off sit-in, announces new protest drive
Listen to article Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of his own faction of the Balochistan National Party, on Wednesday called off his 20-day-long sit-in at the Lakpass area of Mastung district against the arrest of Baloch activists, fearing its impact on traders in the impoverished province. The party had launched the long march to protest the arrest of BYC chief organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch, other leaders and workers as well as police crackdowns on a sit-in. Mengal had announced that the party would march on Quetta but was kept at bay by the government. Addressing a news conference in Mastung, Mengal called off the sit-in, saying: "We believe in a peaceful struggle. We are not ending the movement but will initiate a public outreach movement from today." He announced that the party would organise rallies and protests at district level across Balochistan in the coming days. "In the first phase, we would hold protest rallies in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar and Surab. In the second stage, these rallies would be held in areas of Turbat, Gwadar and Makran," Mengal explained. He added that the third phase of his protest movement would engage the public in the Nasirabad, Jaffarabad and Dera Murad Jamali districts, along with other areas of Balochistan. "We are not backing down, we are taking the movement to every corner of Balochistan," he declared. The BNP-M leader emphasised that the campaign aims to bring national attention to the issue of enforced disappearances and prolonged detentions without trial. He called on the federal and provincial governments to respond to the growing concerns of the Baloch people. Mengal's announcement marks a new phase in the party's political efforts to address grievances through democratic means, while keeping the spotlight on unresolved human rights issues in Balochistan. Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti lashed out at the BYC, terming its activists "abettors" of separatists. Responding to a query during a news conference in Islamabad, CM Bugti said: "Those who call themselves human rights activists, the BYC, are not registered anywhere. "They burn Pakistan's flag wherever they pass through. They are not peaceful, they are abettors of those from the separatist movement and terrorists," he alleged. The chamber of commerce in Quetta told local media that the rally had caused economic losses of $120,000 a day, with traders complaining that their loaded trucks could not cross into Iran or Afghanistan. The decision came a day after a court refused to rule on the detention of the activist Baloch, who, along with criminal charges of terrorism, sedition and murder, faces a public order offence brought by the provincial government. The court instead passed the case to the government, a decision her lawyers said would delay justice. Army chief downplayed the growing insurgency in an address aired by state television. "1,500 people will say that they are going to take away Balochistan from us? Your next 10 generations cannot even take it from us," General Syed Asim Munir said. He said foreign investment would flow into the region after Pakistan hosted a mining conference this month.
Express Tribune
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
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 Listen to article 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.
