Pakistan: BNP-M calls off sit-in against arrest of Baloch activists, announces new public outreach movement

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) President Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Wednesday called off his 20-day-long sit-in at the Lakpass area of Balochistan’s Mastung district against the arrest of Baloch activists, fearing its effect on traders in the province, The Express Tribune reported. He also announced that BNP-M would initiate a new public outreach movement.

The BNP-M had launched the long march to protest the arrest of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief organiser Mahrang Baloch, other leaders and workers, and police crackdowns on a sit-in. Mengal had said that the BNP-M would hold a march on Quetta, but was kept at bay by the government.

Speaking at a news conference in Mastung, Mengal called off the sit-in and said, “We believe in a peaceful struggle. We are not ending the movement but will initiate a public outreach movement from today,” The Express Tribune reported.

He said that BNP-M would organise rallies and protests at the district level across Balochistan in the coming days. He stated, “In the first phase, we would hold protest rallies in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar and Surab. In the second stage, these rallies would be held in areas of Turbat, Gwadar and Makran.”

BNP-M announced that the third phase of the protest movement will involve people in Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, and Dera Murad Jamali districts, along with other parts of Balochistan. He said, “We are not backing down; we are taking the movement to every corner of Balochistan.”

He stressed that the campaign’s goal is to draw the nation’s attention to the issue of enforced disappearances and prolonged detentions without trial. He urged the federal and provincial governments to respond to the rising concerns of the Baloch people, The Express Tribune reported.

His announcement marks a new phase in BNP-M’s political efforts to address grievances through democratic means while keeping the focus on unresolved human rights issues in Balochistan.

On Tuesday, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) dismissed a petition calling for the release of Mahrang Baloch, directing the petitioner to approach the home department for further action, Dawn reported.

The court, in a divided verdict, converted the constitutional petition into a representation and forwarded it to the Balochistan home secretary for processing. The petitioner was advised to first seek clarification from the department on the legality of the detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.