BNP protest continues in Mastung

QUETTA: The Balochistan National Party (BNP) continued its sit-in protest at Lakpas in Mastung, demanding the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Dr Mahrang Baloch and other activists.

The deadlock between the government and protesters remained unresolved, with BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal set to announce the party’s next course of action today (Thursday).

The protest, led by Mengal, has drawn support from political leaders, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) central leadership. On Wednesday, a PTI delegation comprising Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja, former Punjab Governor Latif Khosa, opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Shaista Khosa, and Milli Ittehad Council leader Sahibzada Hamid Raza visited the protest site to express solidarity with Mengal and BNP workers. A large number of BNP’s central and district leaders, as well as party workers, remained actively engaged in the sit-in.

The protesters are demanding the immediate release of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Bebo Baloch, and all other detained members of the BYC. They vowed to continue their demonstration until their demands are met.

Meanwhile, a government delegation led by Minister for Planning and Development Mir Zahoor Buledi held a second round of negotiations with Mengal on Wednesday night. However, the talks ended without a breakthrough. Mengal stated that BNP has made a clear demand for the release of detained individuals, particularly the three women, and until that demand is met, discussions cannot progress.

In a statement, Mengal clarified that no formal agreement had been signed regarding Dr Mahrang Baloch’s release, and negotiations had so far yielded no concrete results. He further criticised the government’s delegation, claiming they lacked decision-making authority and came with no real mandate.

Mengal announced that BNP will unveil its future course of action today (Thursday) at 5:00pm, signaling the potential escalation of the protest if demands remain unmet.