On Saturday, Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan administration, invited the BNP-M to march to Shahwani Stadium on Sariab Road in Quetta and threatened to take action if the city’s Red Zone was violated.
Last Friday, the BNP-M declared a “long march” from Wadh to Quetta in protest at the police raid on the BYC’s Quetta sit-in and the arrests of its leaders and activists, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch. Tuesday was Sammi’s release date.
Today is the ninth day of the BNP-M sit-in. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the leader of the party, made three demands during Thursday’s demonstration in Mastung in protest of the recent detentions of rights activists. “Either release all BYC prisoners, including women, or let us march on to Quetta, where we can hold a peaceful sit-in there,” Mengal said as part of the demands. Or have us arrested.
“The provincial government held a dialogue and proposed that BNP-M will be allowed till Shawani Stadium [on] Sariab Road, but they did not agree and wanted to hold the demonstration in the Red Zone,” Rind stated at a press conference in Quetta. But that won’t sit well with the government.
He went on to say that while it is a right to protest peacefully, the district administration will decide where and how long the demonstration will take place.
Rind went on, “They have declared that they are bringing the march to Quetta, and they should be aware that Section 144 has already been declared and that the law will take its course if it is violated.”
“No permission will be given to hold the Red Zone and government functionaries hostage,” he said in response to a question about how the government will carry out its decision.
In reference to the BNP-M, he further asserted that anti-state comments were made on the platform of a registered political party, and he said that the proper judicial procedure had been started.
“The government retains the right and ability to respond to the remarks made against the Balochistan government by [Akhtar] Mengal yesterday, but Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had instructed from the beginning that no such remarks should be made that would derail this political process, so this is not the moment to respond,” Rind stated.
Regarding talks with the BNP-M, he stated that the Balochistan CM has held two rounds of talks with the party and has reached a political understanding with the Balochistan Awami Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, and Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch.
“They [BNP] had three demands, which were the release of Mahrang and BYC leadership, and our stance was clear that if courts provide relief, the government would not object,” Rind said, referring to Akhtar Mengal’s assertion that the negotiation committee lacked jurisdiction.
Mengal stated on Thursday that following the second round of negotiations, the government delegation had requested additional time for consultation. “Two more days have been requested for consultation, which concludes tonight, but the impasse continues.”
“We will march towards Quetta if all prisoners, including women, are not released,” he continued.
Sanaullah Baloch, a former senator and core leader of the BNP-M, told Dawn.com that government inefficiency was the reason behind the closure of all national highways.
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