KHUZDAR: Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the president of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), has said that his party’s competition is with the people who have looted the province and snatched the hopes of women crying for the recovery of their loved ones.

“Our struggle is not against political opponents who merely label themselves as such; rather, we confront those who have looted the resources of Balochistan, committed acts of violence against innocent people, and are responsible for the Baloch disappearances,” Mr Mengal said while addressing a public meeting, organised jointly by BNP-M and JUI-F at Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo Stadium.

“Women who travelled to Islamabad in the hope of finding their missing sons, brothers and husbands returned empty-handed, after encountering hostility from the Islamabad police,” he said.

During the public meeting, Maulana Qamaruddin, a central leader of JUI-F, Senator Faizullah, Younas Aziz Zehri, Qudoos Baloch, Sardar Ghulam Sarwar Mosyani, former senator Khalid Bizenjo, and others addressed the audience.

Mr Mengal emphasised that the essence of politics lies in serving the people and his party is dedicated to serving the people of Balochistan. He cautioned the public to be wary of those who view politics as a mere trade, referring to them as “political traders”, and stressed the importance of discernment when choosing leaders in the upcoming elections.

He urged the people of Balochistan to prioritise their homeland, considering it both their motherland and national identity. He emphasised the potential repercussions for Balochistan, stating that if any harm befell the region, the consequences could be more severe than dealing with the influx of refugees from India and Afghanistan.

“Those who consider themselves ‘leaders’ have no courage to protest when the bodies of our people were thrown from the air,” he said, remembering an operation conducted in 1973. “Our leaders were martyred in that operation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2024