- author, Sahar Baloch
- position, BBCUrdu.com, Islamabad
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, head of Balochistan National Party, says that if the government wants to talk to resolve the issues in Balochistan, then it will have to talk to those elements who talk about the independence of Balochistan.
The Baloch Sardar, who resigned as a member of the National Assembly on September 3, in a special interview given to BBC Urdu, explained the reason for the deteriorating situation in the province and said that militancy in Balochistan has reached the point it has reached today. It is the result of military operations.
He said that the Baloch militancy that has reached its peak today is the result of the military operations that we are suffering. Now the government will have to talk to those demanding the independence of Balochistan on the mountains.
Talking about the reasons for his resignation, Akhtar Mengal said that there has been constant interference and political manipulation in the affairs of Balochistan. In other parts of Pakistan, (interference in politics) has happened now, but in Balochistan, this is the situation from the first day and there is the same kind of interference. As a result of the intervention in Balochistan, when the people there raised their voice, military operations were conducted in Balochistan to suppress their voice.
He further said that ‘there are various issues on the basis of which I have resigned. When I mention the name of the state, then it includes all the institutions including parliament, political parties, political leadership and judiciary and media. I have boycotted all of them. The neglect of all these institutions and the atrocities on Balochistan forced me (to resign).’
He said that the state of Pakistan has no interest in the people of Balochistan. They are interested in the resources there, whether it is Sui gas, Ricoh dike, Sendak, or the coast of Balochistan, which was built as a base for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
In Balochistan in recent days, there have been incidents of attacks by the extremist organization Baloch Liberation Army on civilians as well as on military installations, in which dozens of people including security personnel were killed, after which Akhtar Mengal’s party BNP and the nation The conservative parties have come under criticism for not raising the issues of the province effectively.
image sourcePirdhan Baloch
Asked whether the militants are succeeding in filling the vacuum left by the nationalist parties in the province, the Baloch leader said, “We have not tried to create space for the militants or gather them.” I have not played as much a role as the persecution of the state has. The state has provoked the people through its excesses, its injustices.’
Akhtar Mengal says that there have been three periods of military resistance in Balochistan. “When amnesty was announced during the rule of a military dictator, Ayub Khan, and those who were on the hills participated in central politics and won the 1970 elections, which formed the first government of Balochistan. was given The democratic governments that came later tried to heal the wounds of Balochistan instead of applying ointment.
We kept explaining to them that they should not do this, the youth of Balochistan is getting out of our hands and today it is the turn of those who go to the mountains, they do not go with the consent of their parents. When he doesn’t listen to his family, how will he listen to me or anyone else? Now the matter is out of our hands.’
Akhtar Mengal said that now the situation has reached such a level that those people and organizations who want to talk within the framework of Pakistan are disappointed with the government’s attitude.
Now Dr. Mah Rang has nothing to say because Mah Rang also wants to talk within the framework of Pakistan, we also wanted to talk within the framework of Pakistan. We were disappointed.’
It should be noted that Mah Rang Baloch, the female leader of the Baloch Unity Committee, recently launched an effective movement in the province, in which a large number of Baloch people joined, but no effective negotiation effort could be seen on the part of the government.
image sourceGetty Images
What effect will Akhtar Mengal’s resignation have on the situation in Balochistan?
Although this is not the first time that Akhtar Mengal has resigned from the membership of the National Assembly and this time too the government is trying to withdraw his decision, but the question is important in its place that the resignation of Akhtar Mengal will affect Pakistan and In particular, what might be the impact on the politics and representation in the Parliament of Balochistan?
Kia Baloch, a journalist and analyst who monitors the politics of Balochistan, said that ‘Akhtar Mengal will not be able to gain anything from this resignation. has lost a strong voice.’
According to him, ‘the state and the federation had a rare opportunity to use a person like Akhtar Mengal to bridge the widening gap between Balochistan and Islamabad.’
Keya Baloch says that ‘Akhtar Mengal’s resignation is a sign of resistance and it seems that he has now realized that the youth of Balochistan has become disillusioned with parliamentary politics.’ He said that it was evident from the recent Raji Muchi in Gwadar that people’s anger has increased and things have gone out of hand.
His resignation after these circumstances is a sign that this is his last attempt to show his positive face to the youth of Balochistan and maintain his political importance.
It should be noted that Akhtar Mengal was elected member of National Assembly from Khuzdar. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the son of the former Chief Minister of the province, Attaullah Mengal, has been in politics since 1988. He himself was the Chief Minister of Balochistan between 1997 and 1998, after which his government was removed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and John Muhammad Jamali was elected as the Chief Minister in his place. After that, in the 2013 election, Akhtar Mengal returned to the Balochistan Assembly after a gap of almost 13 years.
