Balochistan’s first CM Ataullah Mengal dies

KARACHI: Veteran politician from Balochistan, Sardar Ataullah Mengal — father of Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Akhtar Mengal — passed away on Thursday at the age of 92, Geo News reported.

He was ill and had been admitted at a private hospital in Karachi for the last one week, his family confirmed. His body will be transported from Karachi at 5am on Friday (today) to his hometown of Wadh, in district Khuzdar, where his funeral will be held at 3pm.

The BNP has announced a 10-day mourning period during which the party flag will remain at half mast. Sardar Ataullah Mengal was born in 1929 in Lasbela and was the first chief minister of Balochistan. After spending his childhood there, he moved to Karachi. In 1954, he was declared the chieftain of the Mengal tribe.

It was Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, a founding member of the National Awami Party (NAP), who introduced Mengal to the world of politics. In 1962, Mengal was elected to the then West Pakistan provincial assembly. Mengal was known for his outspoken nature and his fight for the rights of the Baloch people.

Meanwhile, President Arif Alvi prayed for the departed soul and offered condolence to Mengal’s family. In his condolence message to Akhtar Mengal, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed profound grief at Mengal’s demise. “The death of Sardar Ataullah Mengal marks the end of an era of prudence, tolerance and dignified politics in Pakistan,” he said, adding: “Mengal’s long struggle for rights and democracy in Balochistan is an unforgettable chapter of our history.” Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also expressed grief and sorrow over the death of the veteran Baloch leader.