QUETTA: Akhtar Mengal, president of the Balochistan National Awami Party (BNP-M), has urged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government not to further delay implementation of the six-point agreement it has signed with his party as the BNP-M will never compromise on political and economic rights of Balochistan’s people.

Speaking at a public meeting at the Railway Hockey ground on Sunday, he said: “We are demanding our rights and not begging. The PTI government should take the BNP-M along with it.”

The public meeting was held in remembrance of BNP-M leader and tribal elder Amanullah Khan Zehri and his grandson who were recently killed in an attack.

A large number of people from different towns and cities of the province participated in the public meeting.

BNP-M’s secretary general Senator Jahanzeb Jamaldini, MNA Agha Hassan, Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, MPA Sanaullah Baloch, Nawabzada Shehryar Zarakzai, Sardar Naseer Ahmed Mosiani and other party leaders also spoke on the occasion.

Mr Mengal said nobody should remain in any doubt that the BNP-M had closed its eyes after extending support to the PTI’s federal government. “We have never compromised on the rights of Balochistan,” he said, adding he and his party would not hesitate to render any sacrifice for Balochistan’s rights.

He said BNP-M’s opponents blamed the party that it had sold Balochistan in Islamabad, adding that “they should come out and tell us what we had sold”.

He said levelling of such allegations did not look good from those who themselves made compromises for their own benefits.

Mr Mengal said he and his party had always raised voice for Balochis­tan’s development and for protecting the honour and respect of its people. “If anyone considers speaking for Balochis­tan’s rights a compromise then I will continue doing this. It was done by my father and it will be done by my children.”

He further said: “We have never sold our conscience and never compromised on our principles.”

Mr Mengal said Sun­day’s public meeting was not held to discuss tribal issues or feuds. But, he added, its purpose was to pay tribute to Amanullah Zehri who embraced martyrdom in Khuzdar.

He said the killing of Amanullah was not the outcome of a tribal dispute. “It is a political murder through a well-planned and deep conspiracy.”

Senator Jamaldini said that the BNP-M leadership was always ready to render sacrifices for the rights of Balochistan people.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2019