QUETTA:
Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal has said that roadblocks and restrictions will not deter the Baloch people from raising their voice against oppression.
As the Wadh to Quetta long march was set to begin, he shared a message on social media, emphasizing that no amount of obstruction could stop them.
Mengal criticized the authorities for placing containers on key routes from Khuzdar to Quetta, blocking major entry points despite their announcement that the long march will be peaceful.
He asserted that the Baloch people would respond today to the harassment of their women and children, reaffirming their determination to stand against oppression.
Meanwhile, the provincial administration has imposed Section 144, banning all political and social gatherings across Balochistan due to security concerns. Additionally, the Home and Tribal Affairs Department has prohibited the use of black-tinted vehicle windows and the public display of weapons to maintain law and order.
Amid these heightened restrictions, internet services have been suspended across Balochistan, with mobile signals have been disrupted in Quetta, Khuzdar, Nushki, and other districts, further limiting communication.
However, despite these measures, the marchers remain resolute in their mission.
On March 26, BNP-Mchief Akhtar Mengal announced to lead a long march on March 28 from Wadh to Quetta against the detention of BYC leaders.
Taking to his X handle, the BNP-M chief mentioned that he would lead long march, “which is against the arrest of our daughters and disrespect of our mothers and sisters.”
He invited the Baloch community, including men, women, elders and youth to participate in the long march.
“It is not only the matter of our daughters’ arrest but it is a question of our national dignity, our honour and out existence,” tweeted Mengal, adding, ‘We will not sit silent until our daughters, sisters and mothers are safe.”
“Our movement is peaceful. We have come out against cruelty and persecution. We will not stop unless we get justice,” maintained the BNP-M chief. “Our march from Quetta to Wadh is not a journey of steps but a travel of conscience. The time has come that we get united and raise a single voice,” he added.
Earlier, several BYC protesters, including its chief organiser Mahrang Baloch, were taken into custody on Friday after protesters from Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) clashed with riots police, pelting armoured vehicles with stones and law enforcers responding by using tear gas, water cannons and blank shots on Sariab Road near the Balochistan University.
