Quetta, April 6 (IANS) — The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) continued its protest for the tenth consecutive day on Sunday, defying government warnings to confine the demonstration to Quetta’s Shahwani Stadium. The protest, led by BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal, has centered on demands for the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch and an end to enforced disappearances in the province.
Despite repeated negotiations, no agreement has been reached between the BNP-M leadership and the provincial government. The protest caravan, which began in the Lakpass area of Mastung, was scheduled to reach Quetta on April 6, following the expiry of the government’s deadline for meeting the party’s demands at midnight on Saturday.
In a press briefing on Saturday, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that authorities had offered BNP-M permission to hold their demonstration at Shahwani Stadium, located on Sariab Road. However, the party rejected the proposal, insisting on holding the protest within Quetta’s high-security Red Zone. The government has refused this demand, warning of strict legal action if protestors enter the restricted area.
As tensions escalated, Mengal posted a statement on social media platform X, claiming that security forces had surrounded the protestors at Lakpass. “We are currently stationed at Lakpass, completely encircled by security forces. A major operation against us is imminent,” he wrote, urging supporters across Balochistan to shut down national highways in response. “We remain peaceful but resolute. Whatever unfolds today — the consequences, the blood, the fallout — will rest solely on the shoulders of the government and the local administration,” he added.
BNP-M has accused the government of deploying aggressive tactics to suppress the demonstration. The sit-in continues on the outskirts of Mastung, with the party vowing not to call off the protest until Mahrang Baloch and other detained BYC leaders are released.
The protest reflects broader grievances over enforced disappearances and political repression in Balochistan, issues that have long strained relations between nationalist groups and the federal and provincial governments.
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