QUETTA: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) president Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal has said that his party’s politics focuses on empowering the province over its resources, protecting interest of its people, recovery of missing persons and repatriation of Afghan refugees and these issues are mentioned in the accord the party has signed with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Speaking to party workers at MPA Hostel here on Friday, the BNP-M chief said that the party would never compromise on the interests of people of Balochistan.

He said that his party’s legislators were striving to secure rights of the impoverished province, instead of seeking ministries and perks and privileges from the federal and the provincial governments.

“Missing persons’ issue, repatriation of Afghan refugees, legislation to prevent demographic changes in Balochistan, end of unemployment and the province’s control over its natural resources top the list of our priorities and we supported the PTI in forming government at the centre after entering into an agreement with it over these points,” Mr Mengal said.

He said that the BNP would never betray the trust the people of Balochistan had reposed in the party during the last general elections. “Unfortunately during the last two decades, basic issues of Balochistan had not been highlighted with sincerity, but we being the representatives of the people at the centre and in the province continue to strive for the welfare of people of Balochistan.”

Senior vice president of the BNP Malik Abdul Wali Kakar, Baloch Students Organisation chairman Nazeer Baloch, Sajid Tareen, Akhtar Hussain Langove, Ghulam Nabi Marri and a large number of party workers were also present.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2019