KARACHI: Seasoned politician and veteran Baloch nationalist leader Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo has died at the age of 62. Bizenjo passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karachi, National Party Central Secretary General Jan Muhammad Buledi said.

He said Bizenjo was admitted to the hospital after his health deteriorated. The senator was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. He remained chief of the National Party and was currently serving as an ideologue of the party.

A strong and consistent advocate of rights of the Baloch, Bizenjo was a vocal opponent of armed resistance and had repeatedly said that use of force by Baloch militants was not acceptable. He said militancy had not served the interest of Balochistan and its people.

While being a clear opponent of militancy, Bijenzo had accused successive governments of having made "huge blunders" in Balochistan by adopting hardline positions that subsequently led to various crises. He also believed that the Centre should allow Balochistan a fair share from the province's own resources.

Bizenjo had remained a consistent ally of PML-N at the Centre as well as in Balochistan since it struck a coalition deal with the party after the 2013 polls. NP under Bizenjo's leadership had also called for effective devolution of powers to provinces.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020