Akhtar Mengal says no intention of withdrawing resignation despite govt’s assurance of grievances' redressal

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Wednesday expressed no intention of withdrawing his resignation from the National Assembly (NA) despite the government assuring the veteran lawmaker that his reservations would be addressed.

A day earlier, Mengal tendered his resignation from the lower house of parliament over the "worsening situation" of his province, declaring no confidence in the state, the president and the prime minister.

"I announce my resignation from the Assembly today [Tuesday]. I made this decision after witnessing the situation of Balochistan," he said during the NA’s session.

Regretting that he could not do anything for the people of the province, the politician said they had not been given the right to rule for a year and that he had a lack of trust in the whole system.

"People are not interested in the issues of Balochistan and every time this issue is raised, we face a blackout," he said. "This assembly does not listen to us, what's the point of sitting here?"

Following the development, a government delegation — headed by Adviser to Prime Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah — met the BNP-M chief today and assured him of addressing his grievances.

The delegation also comprised of Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Usman Badiani, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani and Khalid Magsi.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Sardar Akhtar said that he has no intention of withdrawing his resignation. He said they tried to convince him, but instead “I convinced them”.

During the meeting, Mengal said, he raised issues regarding Balochistan’s exploitation, missing persons, and unfair distribution of resources.

Meanwhile, Sanaullah — while talking to the media — said that the former had been asked to change his mind and remain part of parliament. “He [Mengal] has always spoken about the rights of his province.”

The PML-N stalwart further said that the concerns raised by the seasoned politician would be conveyed to relevant authorities, while the requests he made would be taken to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“The veteran lawmaker should continue his struggle within the ambit of Constitution and law,” the PM’s aide said, adding that the government committee “filed a review petition with the politician” which according to him would be considered.

He hoped that Mengal would approve the “review petition” and withdraw his resignation.

For his part, Khalid Magsi — a member of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) — said that his fellow members agreed on a “plan” given by Rana Sanaullah and hoped that “it will bring good results in the coming days”.

On the other hand, a delegation of the opposition alliance, headed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Asad Qaiser also met Sardar Akhtar Mengal and asked the same.

Speaking to journalists, Qaiser — the former NA speaker — said Mengal assured them of “thinking and consulting in this regard”, adding that the latter would attend the opposition alliance’s meeting and apprised them of his decision.

Furthermore, Qaiser said that they were making attempts to summon ‘all parties conference’ on Balochistan issues.

What happened in Balochistan?

Balochistan, on August 26, was marred by a series of horrific attacks that resulted in over 50 deaths, including 14 security personnel, as militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeted civilians, police, and security forces.

In one of the deadliest attacks, at least 23 passengers were killed after being offloaded from passenger buses and trucks in the Rarasham area of Balochistan's Musakhel.

Separately, at least 10 people, including police and Levies personnel, were martyred in a gun attack in Kalat.

Furthermore, at least 14 brave sons of soil, including 10 security forces soldiers and four personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs), were martyred in clearance operations, wherein at least 21 militants were neutralised.