QUETTA: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Monday visited Bethel Memorial Methodist Church to express solidarity with the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas.

A suicide attack on the church a week ago had left 10 people dead.

Mr Mengal was accompanied by Lashkari Raisani, who has recently join the BNP-M, and Senator Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini. They attended the Christmas service and other celebrations.

They met Pastor Simon Bashir and other people of the community and expressed sorrow over deaths in the attack. “We are with our Christian brothers and condemn the attack on the church,” they said.

Mr Mengal said that the government had failed in protecting the life and property of people. “Terrorists are roaming free and targeting innocent people,” he told reporters after meeting Bishop Sadiq Daniel.

The BNP-M chief rejected the provincial government’s claims that the law and order situation had improved in Balochistan. “People have been left at the mercy of terrorists,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2017