The BNP Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal said that so far 160 bullet-riddled bodies of Baloch youth had been found in different parts of the province and hundreds of political activists had been put behind bars. – File Photo

QUETTA: Balochistan National Party (Mengal) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said that the government is neither strong enough nor serious to resolve the Balochistan issue.

Speaking at a public meeting at the Shahwani stadium by telephone from Dubai on Thursday night, he said that announcement of packages, formation of jirgas and committees were aimed at deceiving the Baloch people.

The meeting was held to mark the first death anniversary of BNP's secretary-general Habib Jalib Baloch. The acting president of the party, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldani, Arbab Zahir Kasi of ANP, Abdur Rauf Lala of PkMAP, Abdul Khaliq Baloch of NP, Bashir Mandai of Jamaat-i-Islami, Ahmed Ali Kohzad of Hazara Democratic Party and Imran Baloch of the BSO were among other speakers.

The BNP leader said that so far 160 bullet-riddled bodies of Baloch youth had been found in different parts of the province and hundreds of political activists had been put behind bars. “In such dreadful situation how could anyone expect the restoration of normalcy in Balochistan,” Mr Mengal wondered.Sardar Mengal said that hardly any day passed without kidnapping of political workers, disappearance of youth, incidents of extra-judicial killing and discovery of bodies.

He said that on the one hand the Baloch were facing such misery and on the other “the anti-Baloch rulers are looting resources” of the province.

He paid tribute to Habib Jalib Baloch for his role in the Baloch political struggle, alleging that he was eliminated for his uncompromising stance on Baloch rights.

He said: “We know the killers of Habib Jalib and who are behind throwing mutilated bodies. The enemies of Baloch people should not forget that injustice can not force us to give up the struggle against usurpers.”

Sardar Mengal said that the only crime of those who were being killed or had gone missing was that they had raised voice against exploitation and injustices.

The BNP leader said that holding of a federal cabinet meeting in Quetta did not mean that the Baloch national question was resolved.

He said that anti-people action would only complicate the resolution of contentious issues between the state functionaries and “real Baloch representatives”.

He assured the gathering that his party would continue the struggle to protect resources and coast of Balochistan.

Akhtar Mengal called for greater unity of political forces to struggle jointly for rights.