Mengal seeks fair probe as sit-in enters third day

QUETTA: Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal on Saturday demanded a transparent probe into the killing of policemen in Ziarat, calling out the government for failing to provide a lasting solution to people plagued by violence.

Addressing the sit-in organised by the families of the police officials martyred in Ziarat, the BNP leader said if a functional justice system existed in the province, then why had there been no independent and transparent investigation into the Ziarat attack and other incidents like that? He said the state’s lack of confidence in its own institutions and decisions is one of the country’s greatest tragedies.

According to the BNP chief, several experiments have been carried out in Balochistan, including the abolition of Levies force and then its merger with the police; however, all such measures have failed. The governments continue to mislead the public by forming committees and sending representatives instead of providing lasting solutions. Therefore, he urged protesters to remain steadfast in their stance and continue demanding their rights.

He said if the situation in Balochistan was truly normal, then why were people compelled to stage sit-in protests? He remarked, “A state where speaking the truth is considered a crime and demanding one’s rights is treated as an offence cannot survive for long.”

Akhtar Mengal said that in many countries, governments were held accountable even for the killing of a single individual, whereas in Pakistan, despite numerous tragedies, no one had been held accountable. He added that if those in power genuinely shared the grief of the people, they would resign from their positions and parliamentary seats and stand alongside the victims.

BNP chief says authorities misleading public instead of providing lasting solutions

Mengal said that in Islamabad, he had raised the issues of the Hanna and Ziarat killings and other incidents. He pledged that whatever course of protest the affected families decide to pursue, the BNP would stand by them.

The BNP chief further stated that oppression and injustice against the people of Balochistan have continued since the establishment of the state. He said the rulers were interested in Balochistan’s gas, minerals, and natural resources but remained indifferent to the hardships faced by its people.

According to him, the rights and lives of the Baloch and Pashtun people have been neglected while the province’s resources have been exploited. He also alleged that, in the past, armed groups and unlawful tactics were used in different parts of Bal­ochistan to suppress the local population.

Sit-in enters third day

Meanwhile, the sit-in entered its third consecutive day as a government delegation comprising Home Minister Ziaullah Langove, Health Minister Bakht Kakar and Deputy Commissioner Quetta Mehrullah Badini held negotiations with the protestors. The protestors sat at the Koila Phatak Chowk with seven bodies while 12 other bodies of police personnel were taken away by their heirs for burial over the last three days. According to reports, another group has also been protesting in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner Ziarat for the past six days. Many parts of the provincial capital Quetta were experiencing massive traffic jams, especially Shahbaz Town, Samungli Road, and Airport Road, as the protesters had blocked the main airport road at the Koila Phatak bridge.

Rights group

Sakina Abdullah Khan, chairperson of the Balochistan women’s wing of the Human Rights International Movement, expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic incidents that occurred in various districts of Balochistan. She condemned the violent incidents reported in Ziarat, Harnai, Manguchar, Chaman, and other areas, describing them as highly deplorable. She urged the federal government and the government of Balochistan to take impartial and effective action against those responsible for these incidents. Sakina Abdullah Khan stated that the recurring incidents of terrorism and violence in Balochistan pose a serious threat to the lives and property of the people, as well as to the province’s peace and stability.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026 ...