Latest news with #SardarAkhtarJanMengal
Business Recorder
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
BNP chief Akhtar Mengal barred from traveling abroad, offloaded at Quetta airport
Balochistan National Party (BNP) President Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal was stopped from boarding an international flight on Sunday, with immigration officials citing his name on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), a watchlist used to restrict international travel. According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Mengal was offloaded from a private airline flight bound for Dubai at Quetta International Airport. The officials said his name being on the PNIL was the reason he was prevented from flying. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mengal confirmed the incident and said he was informed by immigration staff at the airport that he could not travel because his name was listed on the PNIL. 'I was scheduled to fly to Dubai, but was offloaded without prior notice,' he said. The move has sparked condemnation from senior BNP leaders. Former federal minister Agha Hassan Baloch and Ghulam Nabi Marri termed the act 'illegal and unconstitutional.' Mengal and BNP are supporters of terrorists: PPP They emphasised that Mengal is still a sitting member of the National Assembly, and his resignation, submitted earlier, has not yet been officially accepted. 'The government has no legal grounds to bar a serving MNA from international travel,' the BNP leaders said, calling for an immediate explanation from the authorities concerned. Mengal, a key voice from Balochistan in the federal legislature, has been vocal about rights violations in the province and the enforced disappearances issue. The travel restriction is likely to draw further criticism from political and human rights circles, who see such actions as part of a broader clampdown on dissenting voices.
Express Tribune
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Mengal slams roadblocks before long march
Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal has said that roadblocks and restrictions will not deter the Baloch people from raising their voice against oppression. As the Wadh to Quetta long march was set to begin, he shared a message on social media, emphasizing that no amount of obstruction could stop them. Mengal criticized the authorities for placing containers on key routes from Khuzdar to Quetta, blocking major entry points despite their announcement that the long march will be peaceful. He asserted that the Baloch people would respond today to the harassment of their women and children, reaffirming their determination to stand against oppression. Meanwhile, the provincial administration has imposed Section 144, banning all political and social gatherings across Balochistan due to security concerns. Additionally, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department has prohibited the use of black-tinted vehicle windows and the public display of weapons to maintain law and order. Amid these heightened restrictions, internet services have been suspended across Balochistan, with mobile signals have been disrupted in Quetta, Khuzdar, Nushki, and other districts, further limiting communication. However, despite these measures, the marchers remain resolute in their mission. On March 26, BNP-Mchief Akhtar Mengal announced to lead a long march on March 28 from Wadh to Quetta against the detention of BYC leaders. Taking to his X handle, the BNP-M chief mentioned that he would lead long march, "which is against the arrest of our daughters and disrespect of our mothers and sisters." He invited the Baloch community, including men, women, elders and youth to participate in the long march. "It is not only the matter of our daughters' arrest but it is a question of our national dignity, our honour and out existence," tweeted Mengal, adding, 'We will not sit silent until our daughters, sisters and mothers are safe." "Our movement is peaceful. We have come out against cruelty and persecution. We will not stop unless we get justice," maintained the BNP-M chief. "Our march from Quetta to Wadh is not a journey of steps but a travel of conscience. The time has come that we get united and raise a single voice," he added. Earlier, several BYC protesters, including its chief organiser Mahrang Baloch, were taken into custody on Friday after protesters from Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) clashed with riots police, pelting armoured vehicles with stones and law enforcers responding by using tear gas, water cannons and blank shots on Sariab Road near the Balochistan University.
