KARACHI, May 10: The chief of his own faction of the Balochistan National Party, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who was freed on Friday, has sought to dispel the impression that his release is linked to the government’s overall strategy for the resolution of the Balochistan issue.

Speaking to Dawn at his Defence residence on Saturday morning, the nationalist leader said that Balochistan was a separate issue and the release of an individual from jail could not be linked to it.

However, he attributed his release to the relentless efforts of political parties, including the two major parties of the governing coalition, the media and civil society.He said the Sindh government’s decision to withdraw cases against him could be part of the reconciliation efforts of the ruling party.

However, he alleged that “Islamabad rulers” were not sincere about solving the Balochistan issue politically and had made every effort to get his release delayed.

When asked if he saw the resolution of the Balochistan issue any time soon, he said it all depended on the attitude of the government.

In this regard, he stressed the need for taking certain confidence-building measures, demanding that all arrested people and victims of “enforced disappearances” should be released without delay, the armed forces should be sent back to the barracks, and displaced persons should be allowed to return to their homes and be rehabilitated.

He said these measures would pave the way for the resolution of the long-drawn Balochistan issue. He added that if things remained unchanged, he would have no option but to continue his struggle for the restoration of the rights of the people.

He accused “Islamabad rulers” of complicating the Balochistan issue, alleging that either they were not keen on its final resolution or could not understand its gravity.

When asked if his party was ready to play any role in ending the conflict in the province, Sardar Mengal said that since at present his party had no presence in the national and provincial assemblies, it could only make suggestions and recommendations in the interest of Balochistan.

He denied that some important government emissaries had called on him during his days of incarceration in a bid to seek his party’s support over the Balochistan conflict. The Baloch leader said that only the Sindh home minister had called on him twice during his imprisonment and after his release but he described those visits as “courtesy calls”.

He said: “My release is not an issue. The real issue is the hundreds of people who went ‘missing’ and are under detention of law-enforcement agencies. We are struggling for the rights of our people and Baloch control over the resources of the province.”

He added that there had been no change in his party’s policy and he would soon meet his party leaders to chalk out a strategy.

He said the BNP would soon hold rallies in Karachi and elsewhere in Balochistan to mobilise the public in a protest against the military operation in Balochistan and for the release of the victims of “enforced disappearances”.

The BNP leader criticised President Pervez Musharraf for his “dictatorial policies” and creating a mess in Balochistan, saying that democracy could not flourish under his rule.

He called upon political parties, including the ones currently ruling the country, to get rid of the dictatorial regime of Musharraf. He warned them that if they did not do so, they might face the fate of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

Sardar Mengal defended his party’s decision regarding the boycott of the general elections in the country, saying that the even if his party had taken part in the vote, the military establishment would not have allowed it to succeed.