QUETTA: Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Thursday reiterated his party’s demand for the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Chief Organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch and other detained political workers, vowing to continue the struggle until the recovery of all missing activists.

Speaking at the Balochistan Bar Association, Mr Mengal criticised the authorities for their inaction following a suicide attack near the BNP-M sit-in camp in the Lakpass area. “It has been over three weeks, yet no investigation has been initiated, nor have the perpetrators been identified,” he regretted.

Mr Mengal, a former chief minister of Balochistan, expressed dismay at the silence of state institutions, lamenting that the authorities concerned had yet to launch an investigation.

“The judiciary and parliament were not working independently and not playing their true role,” he claimed, adding that those who simply read out decisions written by others were decorated with medals.

He also expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the electoral process, referring to what he described as “Form-47 manipulation” — a term often used to denote rigging through falsified results. “Rubber-stamp legislators cannot make decisions based on merit. A rubber-stamp parliament cannot lead the country towards progress,” he said.

He warned that the limited provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment was under threat. He also condemned the state’s failure to address enforced disappearances across Balochistan. “My faith in the parliamentary system has eroded completely,” he said.

Mr Mengal also criticised Islamabad’s role in regional conflicts, stating: “We pushed Afghanistan into war for dollars and ran this country on the fuel of Afghan refugees for 40 years.

“Now, they should be repatriated with dignity.”

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2025