Mengal's party threatens to quit government

Balochistan National Party (Mengal) Thursday threatened to end its alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government if the latter does not release the four women arrested from Awaran district, and termed the move as an attack on Baloch traditions.

Balochistan National Party (Mengal) also joined hands with the opposition parties and staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest for not producing the arrested members in the house in spite of issuance of their production orders by the speaker as well as against increasing inflation in the country.

The members of BNP-M also staged a token sit-in in front of dais of the speaker National Assembly in protest against the Awaran incident. The two to three members of all opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and others also participated in the sit-in of BNP-Mengal. Afterward, all the members including those of BNP-M staged a walkout form the House.

BNP chief Akhtar Mengal while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly said that the way four Baloch women were picked up from their homes in Awaran district is unequivocally condemnable. The law enforcement agencies desecrated the Blaoch women which is very shameful and regrettable, he said.

Mengal said, "I do not understand who is running the Balochistan, whether it is federal government or secret forces. The previous dictator (Musharraf) locked the coffin of our leaders (Akbar Bugti) and now the present government is trying to lock cases against a dictator," he said.

Mengal while giving a warning to the government said, "We tendered resignations from the National Assembly in the past in protest and now we can also separate ourselves from the alliance of the PTI government. There is no need to sit in the house when our honor is not protected."

He said that at present the Constitution of Pakistan is being dismantled and the present government is not giving importance to it. "The present government does not want to move forward by taking along Balochistan. The PTI government constituted a political committee but its nominations could not be made so far," he said.

The BNP chief said, "Balochistan has become a colony. When they need votes, they use Akhtar Mengal, Zain Bugti and others and after that they put them in dustbin."

He said, "You can not force the people of Balochistan to become Pakistanis at gunpoint unless they are treated as equal citizen."

Mengal said that the BNP-M's protest would continue until Blaoch women return to their homes.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri who was chairing the session said that the interior minister must be present in the house on Friday (today) to give a comprehensive statement on this incident.

Earlier, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that implementation is not being made on the decisions of the speaker National Assembly. He said that the speaker is custodian of the august house but his orders are being violated.

He said, "The provincial government (Punjab) is denying the production orders of the speaker. The speaker issued production order of Khawaja Saeed Rafiq but Punjab government is denying implementing on it. Punjab government implements an order of a section officer of interior minister but it does not follow the orders of the custodian of this house."

He said that it is not only disrespect of the speaker but also a breach of the privilege of the whole house. He said that the speaker should not discriminate any member and should issue production orders across the board. He said that speaker is not issuing production order of Rana Sanaullah.

The PML-N leader said that the infliction is at peak in the 10 years history of Pakistan. He said that lives of the people are in miserable condition due to price hike.