Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of his faction of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M), announced on Wednesday an end to his party’s 20-day-long sit-in at the Lakpass area of Mastung district against the arrest of Baloch activists, adding that they would launch a public contact movement from today instead.
The BNP-M had begun a “long march” from Wadh to Quetta on March 28 to protest the arrests of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and activists, including Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, as well as a crackdown on their sit-in in Quetta. Sammi was released on April 1.
Earlier this month, Mengal had announced that the party would march on Quetta on April 6 after three rounds of negotiations had failed to make any progress.
Addressing a press conference in Mastung today, Mengal called off the sit-in, saying: “We believe in a peaceful struggle. We are not ending the movement but would initiate a public contact movement from today.”
He announced that the BNP-M would organise rallies and protests across Balochistan, without specifying a date.
More to follow
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