QUETTA: Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the president of his own faction of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M), has appealed to election observers of the European Union (EU) to review their decision of not visiting Balochistan during their assignment in Pakistan.

Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, Mr Mengal said the EU observers had been visiting countries in Africa to observe electoral activities. Some of these countries were more dangerous than Balochistan.

He said the EU being an advocate of fundamental rights should reconsider its decision and supervise polls in the province because the presence of international observers would ensure transparency in the process.

He said in reply to a question that his party believed in a democratic struggle and could neither go to the mountains nor ask the militants hiding there to join them. Everyone had a right to opt their own means of struggle.

Rebutting the claim that a deal was behind his return to the country, he said the BNP-M did not believe in entering into any arrangements to achieve political rights.

He said the federal government did not take into confidence the Baloch leadership while handing over the operations of the Gwadar seaport to China and the gas pipeline project between Pakistan and Iran.

“We not only condemn them but reject both agreements as these are against the interest of Baloch people,” he asserted.