ISLAMABAD / QUETTA: The Balochistan National Party leadership on Thursday condemned a late-night “raid” on the residence of party chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal at the Parliament Lodges in Islamabad and accused authorities of kidnapping the sons of party senators to coerce the BNP into supporting a proposed constitutional amendment allegedly aimed at curbing the judiciary’s powers.

However, the police clarified in a statement that the operation was part of a routine security audit related to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, as several foreign delegates remained in the capital. The police claimed that no raid or harassment took place at the lodges, stressing that it was a standard security check.

“In view of some security concerns and complaints, the concerned police officer went to eight to 10 places for investigation and verification,” the police said.

A police officer told Dawn that there were reports suggesting Sardar Akhtar Mengal might be abroad. During the operation, police found BNP’s Acting President Sajid Tareen at Mr Mengal’s flat and informed him that the raid was conducted following an intelligence report regarding the possible presence of suspects.

Demands recovery of missing sons of senators, accuses authorities of harassment

Sardar Mengal had previously resigned from his seat in the National Assembly, but his resignation has yet to be officially accepted.

BNP demands recovery of senators’ sons

Meanwhile, during a press conference in Quetta on Thursday, senior BNP leaders demanded the safe recovery of Senator Qasim Roonjho’s and Senator Nasima Ehsan’s sons. They alleged that “forced disappearances” were being used as a tool of intimidation to pass bills in parliament.

The party leaders alleged that authorities in Islamabad believed that they could erase the Baloch people through such tactics.

They said the raid on Mr Mengal’s lodges confirmed the BNP’s concerns regarding state harassment. They reported that Senator Roonjho’s home had been raided, and he had been unreachable since the day before. Similarly, Senator Ehsan’s son had also gone missing.

The BNP leaders claimed that the raid on Mr Mengal’s residence was part of a decades-long pattern of harassment against the party. They insisted that the party chief’s resignation from the National Assembly was also a direct result of this ongoing pressure.

Criticising the use of forced disappearances in a democratic state, the BNP leaders said that the federal government had failed to understand the situation in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2024