QUETTA:
Unfazed by a suicide attack a day ago, Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) continued its sit-in on Sunday at Lak Pass between Quetta and Mastung districtsa protest that has blocked a key highway linking Balochistan’s provincial capital with Sindh, Punjab and other parts of the country
Meanwhile, the first round of negotiations between a government team and BNP leadership led by Sardar Akhtar Mengal ended without any breakthrough.
On Saturday, some provincial ministers met Mengal and tried to convince him to wind up the protest and reopen the highway. However, Mengal insisted that the protest would continue until the release of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Samdin Baloch and missing persons.
A delegation of the JUI-F led by its provincial chief Maulana Abdul Wasay also visited the BNP protest camp and expressed full support to the BNP-M. JUI-F MPA Mir Zafarullah Zehri and Senator Kamran Murtaza were also part of the delegation.
Strict security measures were in place to prevent any untoward incidents during the demonstration.
On Saturday, an alleged suicide attack took place near the site of the sit-in at the Lak Pass.
BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other senior party leaders were present at the protest camp when the alleged attacker detonated his suicide vest. Fortunately, all people remained unharmed.
Following the incident, security was beefed up in and around the BNP-M long march.
Authorities implemented strict measures to ensure safety in the area, aiming to prevent any further threats, officials said. Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti strongly condemned what he referred to as an “alleged suicide bombing.”
In a post on social media platform X, he assured that the government would investigate the incident thoroughly. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing security to BNP-M leadership and participants.
Mengal’s party had launched a long march from Wadh to Quetta against the arrest of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders including Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sami Deen Muhammad.
According to sources, the Balochistan government had been in contact with the BNP-M leadership since the previous night and a delegation from the BNP-M had already met with the local administration.
