Government to arrest Akhtar Mengal if BNPM protest enters Quetta as the tensions in province continue to increase.
The Balochistan government has warned BNPM chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal that he will be arrested if his party proceeds with its march towards Quetta, amid ongoing protests over the detention of Baloch activists.
Government spokesperson Shahid Rind stated that Mengal was informed at 6 a.m. of his arrest orders under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law. He added that Mengal refused to surrender, and law enforcement has been stationed to prevent the march toward Quetta.
Rind criticized the BNPM’s call to block national highways, saying it would only worsen public suffering. He confirmed that district administrations were directed to keep highways open.
BNPM launched a “long march” from Wadh to Quetta on March 28 to protest the arrests of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, and police action against their sit-in in Quetta.
Sammi Deen Baloch was released on Tuesday, but the BNPM sit-in has continued for ten days.
Currently stationed in the Lakpass area of Mastung, BNPM has warned it will advance to Quetta if the deadlock over the release of BYC activists persists.
Rind stated that two rounds of negotiations were held with BNPM, during which the party requested to protest in Quetta’s Red Zone. The government denied the request and offered Sariab Road as an alternative venue.
During the talks, Mengal presented three main demands, one being the release of Baloch activists. While the government considered the demands, it stood firm on not allowing a Red Zone protest.
The Sindh government has revoked the detention order for BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch under Section 3 of the MPO, after she led protests in Karachi against the arrests of the movement’s leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch and 16 others were earlier detained in Quetta, following allegations that police had fatally beaten three protesters during an anti-riot crackdown.
Authorities claimed Sammi and others, including Abdul Wahab Baloch and Raza Ali, were encouraging road blockades and sit-ins that could disrupt public order.
Mengal and other BNPM members also survived a suicide bombing targeting their rally in Mastung on March 29.
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