Mengal returns to Balochistan Assembly after 14 years

Published August 28, 2013
Chief of the Balochistan National Party - Mengal (BNP-M) Sardar Akhtar Mengal.   — File Photo by Online
Chief of the Balochistan National Party - Mengal (BNP-M) Sardar Akhtar Mengal. — File Photo by Online

QUETTA: Chief of Balochistan National Party, Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said that government must break the silence and name the institutions involved in enforced disappearances and the killing of Baloch political workers and the dumping of their bodies.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the Chief of BNP and former chief minister Balochistan took oath as an MPA after an interval of 14 years from parliamentary politics on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Balochistan, Dr. Malik Baloch, and members of Balochistan Assembly belonging to both treasury and opposition benches welcomed the arrival of Sardar Mengal in the assembly.

On the occasion of his oath-taking the BNP-M chief said that in addition to the oath of loyalty to Pakistan, oath should also be taken of loyalty to Balochistan.

In his speech, Sardar Akhtar Mengal lashed out at the government over the increasing number of missing persons and the recovery of bullet-riddled bodies.

He said during last three months 57 bodies of missing persons were found, 75 people had disappeared whereas 19 were subjected to targeted killings.

"Earlier bodies were thrown in the deserts of Balochistan, now their bodies are being found in Karachi", Sardar Mengal said.

He said Baloch political were not killed as result of any tsunami or any other natural disaster rather they were being killed by institutions.

"Their parents demand justice and ask that who is the murderer of their loved ones", he said.

The BNP Chief demanded prompt action against those involved in the murder of Baloch political workers.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had endorsed his six points, he presented before the apex court last year.

Sardar Mengal demanded that now it was an appropriate time for Nawaz Sharif to implement those six points in order to avoid further bloodshed and to establish durable peace in Balochistan.

"Had rulers implemented those six points, the situation would have improved here", he said.

The Baloch nationalist leader claimed that still an operation was underway in Dera Bugti, Kohlu and other parts of Balochistan.

He said so far no government has called an end to military operation in the province, adding that a large number of people were displaced from their homes.

"Respected people are now forced to engage in beggary in Sindh", he said referring to internally displaced persons of Dera Bugti, who are languishing in different parts of Sindh province.

"I demand the arrest of killers of all, whether Sunni or Shia ", he said while referring to worsening law and order situation in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.

He said decisions from Islamabad should not be imposed on Balochistan rather people of the province should be strengthened to make their own decisions.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal said the once beautiful Balochistan had now been turned into a graveyard, citing example of civil-war struck Afghanistan, he said, "I visited the war-torn country in 1995, all parks were turned into graveyards".

He said Pakistan intervened in Afghanistan to serve American interest and fight against communism there. "If we are not concerned about the children of others, then we cannot protect our own children as well", he said.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal remained Chief Minister of Balochistan from 1997 to 1998. His government was overthrown by the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Jan Muhammad Jamali was elected as the Chief Minister of Balochistan.

BNP had leveled serious allegations against the government and refused to accept the results of May 2013 general elections.

The party has decided to sit in parliament and raise voice for Baloch rights and protect resources, after carrying lengthy deliberations

Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr Malik Blaoch, while welcoming Mengal's arrival said that both leaders shared the same destination and would make efforts to lift the province out of difficult times.

Leader of the opposition in the Balochistan Assembly, Zmarak Khan Achakzai, belonging to the Awami National party (ANP) assuring Akhtar Mengal of his complete cooperation said that both the parties (ANP and BNP-M) would work together to stabilise democracy as they had in the past.

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