QUETTA, May 4: — Sardar Akhtar Mengal, President of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), on Friday night announced the launch of a “politics of national resistance,” condemning Pakistan’s state institutions for failing to protect the rights of the Baloch people.
Addressing a large public gathering at Shahwani Stadium, Mengal said his party would no longer seek permission from the government to conduct political activities.
“When the government asks us not to stage protests, we demand that it shun its wrong policies that force people to hold protests,” he told supporters, as reported by Dawn.
Mengal criticized the country’s parliament, judiciary, and law enforcement agencies, accusing them of complicity in the suffering of Baloch citizens.
“How can we remain silent when people are being dishonoured, our women targeted, our youth subjected to genocide, and their mutilated bodies dumped?” he asked.
Issuing a stern warning, the BNP-M chief said the party would not hesitate to stage demonstrations near military cantonments if what he described as “state repression” persisted.
He also targeted the judiciary, alleging that it had failed to uphold justice. “The courts keep granting adjournments but cannot protect constitutional rights,” Mengal said.
He further alleged that judicial decisions were “being dictated by sector commanders rather than the Constitution.”
The event also featured speeches by BNP-M Senior Vice President Sajid Tareen Advocate, activist Iqra Baloch — sister of detained rights campaigner Mahrang Baloch — Nasarullah Baloch of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), and other prominent figures.
Speakers unanimously demanded the immediate release of Mahrang Baloch and other activists arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
BNP-M, led by former Balochistan Chief Minister Akhtar Mengal, has long championed the cause of Baloch autonomy and condemned federal policies concerning military operations and resource allocation in the province.
