Quetta (Web Desk): The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Wednesday announced the end of its 20-day-long sit-in protest held in Mastung, which was launched against the arrests of Baloch rights activists and police actions during demonstrations.
BNP-M leader Akhtar Mengal stated that the protest at Lak Pass would be called off to avoid causing further inconvenience to the public. Instead of the sit-in, the party now plans to organize rallies across various districts to continue raising its voice.
Mengal also announced that the party’s central cabinet would convene in Quetta on April 18 to decide the future course of action.
The protest had been ongoing for nearly three weeks, with BNP-M demanding the release of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, the Chief Organiser of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), along with other detained female activists.
The movement intensified following a police crackdown in Karachi, where BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch was also arrested while protesting the detentions. She was later released, but the protest at Lak Pass continued.
Dr Mahrang Baloch and 16 other activists were taken into custody from their protest camp in Quetta, a day after they accused police of killing three of their fellow demonstrators during an anti-riot operation.
The arrests and violence sparked widespread criticism and mobilized support for the cause.
Meanwhile, the BNP-M hosted an All Parties Conference (APC) earlier in the week, which concluded with the passing of nine resolutions. Among them was a call for the implementation of constitutional safeguards linked to the 1948 Instrument of Accession of Balochistan to Pakistan. The resolutions also emphasized the need for a national-level dialogue to address the province’s longstanding political and human rights issues.