‘Goodbye, parliament’: Mengal pens note as he leaves country

KARACHI: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has once again confirmed his resignation from the National Assembly, this time with a pointed message to Pakistan’s political leadership in which he has also revealed that he has left the country.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Mengal expressed frustration with the attempts by various political parties to convince him to reconsider his decision, emphasizing that his resignation was final and driven by his commitment to Balochistan’s cause.

“All political parties have refused to accept my resignation, which I find ironic because I’ve already resigned and have no desire to remain in this parliament”, Mengal wrote. He noted that while parties were eager to apologize for past mistakes and persuade him to change his mind, their apologies were misdirected: “But don’t apologize to me -- apologize to the people of Balochistan. Acknowledge the pain you’ve caused by taking their loved ones.”

Mengal also cited the treatment meted out to Baloch activists Sammi Deen and Mahrang Baloch -- “when they simply wanted to speak”. He added: “I am not just Akhtar Mengal; I am a part of the people. When you make amends with them, you’ll make amends with me.” The BNP-M leader stressed that his decision was not based on personal grievances but rather on his conscience and the need to bring attention to the persistent issues in Balochistan. “I’ve tried to make everyone understand, but they refuse to address Balochistan’s issues”.

Mengal’s post also revealed that he had rid himself of the “burden that has weighed on me for months”, and that he now feels “free”. Saying that he hoped “others realize this before it’s too late”, Mengal revealed he was writing the note while boarding a flight. He then signed off with: “Goodbye, parliament -- may we meet again when the rule of law prevails!” Mengal’s message comes in the wake of his formal resignation, submitted earlier this week, which had drawn widespread attention and efforts by government and opposition members alike to reverse his decision. Despite their assurances and promises to address Balochistan’s grievances, Mengal did not withdraw his resignation.