QUETTA: Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) president Sardar Akhtar Mengal has claimed that the election results of NA-260 proved that the mandate given by the people to his party has been snatched to bring pro-establishment parties to power.

Speaking at a press conference along with provincial president of the Awami National Party Asghar Khan Achakzai, president of the Balochistan National Movement Dr Hayee Baloch, President of the Hazara Democratic Party Abdul Khaliq Hazara and Wahid Baloch of the BNP-Awami here on Thursday, Sardar Mengal thanked leaders of his allied parties for extending support to the joint candidate and said that the party candidate got over 37,000 votes in the by-election and it had proved that the people always opposed undemocratic forces and gave mandate to democratic parties, but their mandate had always been snatched.

He said the alliance of nationalist parties had been formed to contest the by-election and it would stay intact in the next election too.

“We want the government to follow norms of democracy and provide equal opportunities to all political parties, including those in the opposition, to hold public meetings in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan,” Sardar Mengal added.

He said that he wanted to hold a public meeting and requested the government to allow him to hold the public meeting at the Railway Hockey Ground, but it did not grant permission and instead offered the meeting to be held at the football ground of Ayub Stadium. “But there too the government did not allow the public meeting,” he regretted and strongly condemned this attitude of the government.

He also condemned targeted killing of innocent people in Quetta and Mastung and said it was a proof that the government had failed to protect the life and honour of the people.

The provincial president of the ANP, Mr Achakzai, condemned the targeted killing of people in Mastung, Quetta and Chaman and said if lives of most senior police officers were not safe then whose life was safe in the province.

Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch declared that the present political alliance would stay intact to contest future elections.

President of the Hazara Democratic Party Abdul Khaliq Hazara condemned the targeted killing of people in Mastung and Quetta and said that terrorists were trying to create misunderstanding and hatred among people of different ethnic groups in the province.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2017