Former MNA and Balochistan National Party (BNP) Chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Wednesday announced the end of his 20-day-long sit-in at Lakpass, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Akhtar said that he believed in a peaceful struggle for the attainment of the rights of the people of Balochistan.
However, he said today’s decision did not imply the end of the movement. “From today, we are going to launch a mass-contact campaign in the province,” he said, adding, “The BNP will hold protest demonstrations and take out rallies to press the government to accept its demands.”
In the first phase, the BNP chairman added, the party would hold protest demonstrations in Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar and Sorab.
“In the second phase, we will hold public gatherings and protest demonstrations in Turbat, Gwadar and Makran,” Mengal said, adding, “In the third phase, rallies will be taken out in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Dera Murad Jamali and other cities of the province.”
He questioned the democratic credentials of the government, asking, "Is it a people's government when all routes are forcibly closed?"
The BNP chief said that several delegations visited the protest site and expressed their helplessness. "We called an All Parties Conference (APC), offered our suggestions, and yet nothing meaningful was done," he lamented.
He thanked the elders and supporters who stood with them throughout the 20-day protest under harsh conditions, saying, "Despite the dangers and isolation, the people’s participation remained unwavering."
Reporter: Essa Tarin