Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other workers of his faction of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) remained unhurt on Saturday after a suicide bomber blew himself up near the party’s rally at Mastung.

Mengal had announced a “long march” from Wadh to Quetta to protest the arrests of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch and other leaders as well as police crackdowns on a sit-in. However, the Quetta administration has denied the BNP-M permission to go ahead with its rally.

Marchers and motorists from different political parties had started their journey to Quetta from Mengal’s native town of Wadh at around 9am on Friday. Earlier today, the BNP-M claimed that over 250 of its activists were detained as its march was met with police action near Mastung.

As reports of a blast near the BNP-M’s rally emerged at around 1pm, Mengal said on X that he was “safe with all party workers”.

In a statement, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the same: “According to reports, there has been no loss of life. Sardar Akhtar Mengal and the entire BNP-M leadership is safe.”

The spokesperson noted that the BNP-M’s sit-in was underway near the site of the “alleged suicide blast” and that the public would soon be informed about the results of an inquiry into the incident.

The official assured the party that the safety of the rally’s participants, Mengal and other leaders was the provincial government’s responsibility.

Rind said the Balochistan government was in contact with the party’s leadership since last night. According to him, a delegation of the BNP-M also met with the local administration on Friday night, after which it was agreed that a government delegation would meet with Mengal.

The government called on Mengal, his party and the public to cooperate with it and “help in improving the situation through talks”.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti issued a statement on X condemning today’s attack, pledging that the government would investigate the incident and also provide security to Mengal.

“Terrorism, no matter who it is directed against, is condemnable!” Bugti wrote.

Mastung Assistant Commissioner (AC) Akram Harifal told Dawn.com that Levies personnel stationed at Luck Pass spotted a suspicious individual and attempted to stop him, but he tried to flee.

The Levies officials pursued him, and as a result, the suicide bomber blew himself up. No other loss of life occurred, AC Harifal added. He stated that security arrangements near the rally site had been intensified, with additional Levies personnel deployed.

However, addressing supporters at Mastung later, Mengal claimed that four participants from the rally were injured in the blast. “We have no threat from any group. If we have any threat, it is from the state,” the BNP-M leader alleged.

The BNP-M president asserted that the government wanted to worsen the situation, but his protest would “continue peacefully”.

Responding to the government’s offer of talks, Mengal reiterated his demand for BYC leaders and supporters to be freed: “Our answer is that the middle way is the release of women.”

“Release the arrested women, and we will return. I am ready to give my arrest in return for the release of women,” he added.

He further alleged that the media was being “told to not even look towards” the rally, let alone cover it.

In a separate media interview, Mengal said a suspicious person was seen by party workers as its rally was about to begin, adding that he ran away after being spotted. Mengal criticised the administration and security authorities for their lack of response despite the substantial passage of time.

He alleged that no authorities had arrived to even identify the suicide bomber.

In a post on X, he said the entire situation could have been averted if the authorities had allowed the marchers to enter Quetta to register their peaceful protest.

“We have repeatedly appealed to our workers and the public to remain peaceful, and we still do. But the government and the establishment are afraid of a few hundred thousand unarmed people.

“Those who make grand claims of democracy should reflect on today. The message they have given to the Baloch and Pakhtun nations today is very clear: There is no place in Pakistan’s mainstream politics for those who talk about human rights, nor for political parties, nor for peaceful protesters.

“The state has once again given the message to the youth to abandon peaceful methods and choose another path. We are not allowed to raise our voices for our mothers and sisters, nor are we allowed to protest for the missing persons, nor are we allowed to raise questions when their bodies are found,” he said.

BNP-M claims 250 held in police action

In a post on X earlier today, the BNP-M claimed that more than 250 of its workers had been arrested while “dozens have sustained injuries due to the actions of the security forces” near Mastung’s Luck Pass.

The party alleged that law enforcement personnel had employed “intense tear gas shelling” against the participants, adding that its march paused at Luck Pass due to road blockades by containers.

Dawn.com has reached out to the police for comment.

An earlier post by the party claimed that “security forces opened fire on the participants of the long march and arrested over 250 leaders and workers” of the BNP-M.

“My [party’s] senior leadership is being directly shelled at and fired upon,” Mengal alleged in the early hours of Saturday.

Stating that his convoy’s route was blocked by containers at Luck Pass, Mengal appealed to the people of Mastung and Quetta to gather on their respective sides of the crossing.

“We will move ahead towards our goal, even if we have to dig a new tunnel,” the senior politician vowed.

“We are strong and committed to our cause, and above all, we are peaceful. Any force or coercion cannot shake our courage or turn us away from our path.”

A video shared by the party at 1:35am showed supporters — gathered around a car with rose petals showered on it — chanting “Jiye jiye Baloch” [long live Baloch].

Mengal also shared a purported video of containers lining up a road. “If you had worked this hard to run the country and the province, we would not have to protest on the streets,” he quipped.

Organisers warned of legal action if march goes ahead

On the other hand, the Quetta administration rejected the BNP-M’s application filed on Thursday “regarding approval of long march and proviso of security coming from Wadh”, citing a ban on gatherings.

In a letter to BNP-M on Friday, the Quetta DC recalled that the Balochistan home department had imposed a province-wide ban on the “blockade of national/main highways, roads, red zones including processions, rallies and gathering of 5 or more than five persons/ sit-ins” for three months on February 28.

The letter added that the Intelligence and Coordination Committee on Friday “unanimously decided that the rallies/long march may not be entered into the jurisdiction of Quetta District under current law and order situation security threat issued by law enforcement agencies (LEAs)”.

“Your application is hereby regretted on grounds mentioned in para-2/N and you are not allowed to enter into Quetta District,” the letter stated.

It warned: “In case of violation, the organisers will be held fully responsible for any untoward incidents or disruptions that may occur. Furthermore, action will be taken against the organisers under the relevant provisions of the law.”