Pakistan govt 'fears' Baloch, says BNP chief Mengal

Quetta, April 24 (IANS) Balochistan National Party (BNP) has slammed the Pakistani government for the "unjust treatment" meted out to Baloch women, highlighting that many of them were imprisoned simply for voicing their rights, local media reported.

Addressing a public meeting on Wednesday at Khuzdar in the province of Balochistan, the party chief, Akhtar Mengal, said that the rising political awareness among Baloch women has "rattled the ruling elite."

"Our women in Balochistan are now so aware that the rulers are losing their sleep over it. They fear the Baloch. Our party resigned from the assemblies to advocate for Baloch rights. We have attempted to solve the issues of this region through political means, but things have only gotten worse," Mengal said.

"Today's rally in Khuzdar is different from the previous ones. The presence of thousands of people here proves that the people of Balochistan are alive," he added.

He later announced that the BNP would hold another rally in Quetta on May 2 for justice, Pakistan's leading newspaper, Dawn, reported.

Last week, Mengal called off his 20-day-long sit-in at the Lakpass area of Mastung district against the arrest of Baloch activists, fearing its impact on traders in the impoverished province.

The party had launched the long march to protest the arrest of Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) chief organiser Mahrang Baloch, other leaders and workers, as well as police crackdowns during a sit-in protest.

"We believe in a peaceful struggle. We are not ending the movement but will initiate a public outreach movement," Mengal said as he addressed a news conference in Mastung.

He announced that the party would organise rallies and protests at the district level across Balochistan in the coming days.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, BYC leader Mahrang Baloch's lawyer, Imran Baloch, confirmed that the Balochistan government extended the detention of Mahrang for 30 more days after charging her with terrorism, sedition and murder, according to a report by the leading Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune.

Mahrang was taken into custody on March 22, after she took part in a sit-in protest in the provincial capital, Quetta, against the illegal arrest and police remand of the relatives of the victims of enforced disappearances.

She was detained for 30 days, but "the government has issued another notification ordering to detain her for 30 more days," said her lawyer.

--IANS

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