• BNP chief says no intention of retracting resignation, claims Balochistan treated as ‘colony’
• Govt, PTI delegations call on Mengal; Rana Sana says grievances to be relayed to ‘quarters concerned’
• Dr Malik regrets resignation harms democratic process

ISLAMABAD: A day after Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal ‘quit’ parliament to protest the apathy meted out to his home province, the government and the opposition delegations visited his residence in Parliament Lodges to convince him to retract his resignation for the sake of ‘democratic process’.

The veteran nationalist politician from Khuzdar, however, refused to budge from his stance, saying his decision was irreversible. Although Mr Mengal sits on the opposition benches in the National Assembly, the government did not miss a chance to seek his support after assuring him that his grievances would be addressed.

Mr Mengal, who resigned due to frustration and lack of freedom in parliament to speak about the restive Balochistan province, was elected an MNA from Khuzdar (NA-256) in the Feb 8 elections. His resignation came amid a precarious security situation in Balochistan following an uptick in militancy as well as a popular rights movement led by Dr Mahrang Baloch.

A delegation led by PM’s political affairs aide Rana Sanaullah also called on Akhtar Mengal and requested him to remain in parliament.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Rana Sanaullah said, “We requested him to remain a part of parliament and continue his struggle in the same way as he always has within the ambit of the law and the Constitution and talk about Balochistan’s rights and deprivation.”

“The bravery with which he has fought the case of the people of Balochistan, all of us are appreciative of him and we are with him,” the PML-N leader added. Sanaullah said Mr Mengal had “registered our review petition”, hoping it would be accepted by the veteran politician.

Rana Sanaullah added the co­n­cerns expressed by Mr Men­gal were a “keepsake” with the del­egation and would be forwarded to the “quarters concerned”.

The BNP chief, however, appeared firm in his stance. “They tried to convince me but I think I convinced them. I have no intention [of retracting my resignation],” he said in a comment on his meeting with the government delegation.

Reiterating his concerns, he said he had raised the issues of injustices in Balochistan such as missing persons, extraction of resources, violence, and kill and dump policy with “every government and its allies but they can’t seem to understand” despite his plain and clear language. He said he had nothing more to say.

‘Rise in militancy’

In a subsequent interview with BBC Urdu, the veteran leader said militancy had surged in Balochistan in reaction to the military operations conducted in the province, adding that now the state has to talk to those who have gone to the mountains and supported the struggle for the “freedom of Balochistan”.

He said the state and all political governments were responsible for the unrest in Balochistan as they had never thought for the people of the province but remained focused on its resources, like gas and minerals as well as the coastal belt being used for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Balochistan leader said nationalists like him had failed to bring together the people of Balochistan, but the state was responsible for paving the way for militancy through its excesses. He said the state had never considered Balochistan a province rather it has always been treated like a “colony”.

None of the political governments healed the wounds of the people of Balochistan rather they scratched them, he said, adding: “Now the youth of Bal­ochistan have gone to the mountains against the will of their parents and families. So how will they listen to me to give up.”

Akhtar Mengal claimed three insurgencies had taken place in Balochistan since 1947, adding that after an amnesty before the 1970 elections, those who had joined the insurgency participa­ted in the general election and managed to form the first political government in the province.

Likewise, the PTI delegation led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who heads the PTI-dominated opposition alliance, urged the BNP chief to take his resignation back. The Pashtun­khwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief was accompanied by PTI’s Asad Qaisar and Omar Ayub, among others.

Expressing serious concern over the current situation in Bal­o­chistan, the PTI asked Akhtar Mengal to rejoin the struggle with­in parliament. The delegat­ion alleged that the government had made the current National Assembly a “rubber stamp”, unable to show any seriousness despite repeated discussions about Balochistan’s problems.

“The people of Balochistan will not be left alone in this hour of difficulty,” PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub said in a statement.

‘Distress signal’

Former Balochistan chief minister Dr Abdul Malik said the resignation harmed the democratic process in the country. He said the democratic process should not be abandoned; instead, one should participate in it and struggle for the rights of the people of Balochistan. Talking to the media, he said he was not in favour of abandoning the democratic process.

Veteran PPP politician Raza Rabbani issued a press release saying that Mengal’s resignation was a “distress signal” from Balochistan. “It is yet another reminder that Balochistan, rich in resources but impoverished by neglect, continues to be marginalised and ignored.”

“Nationalist leaders like Mengal chose the path of mainstream politics over separatism, hoping that their participation in the parliamentary process brings the plight of their people to the attention of the federation,” said the former Senate chairman. He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to bring Mr Mengal back to parliament as a “priority”. “The state must listen to him and other nationalist leaders who have chosen the path of dialogue over violence. The issues that have pushed Balochistan to the brink must be addressed immediately.”

Saleem Shahid in Quetta and Bakhtawar Mian in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2024