QUETTA: Senior Vice President of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Sajid Tareen Advocate, on Monday strongly condemned Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s recent press talk against BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, calling it an attempt to conceal the chief minister’s own incompetence.
Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club alongside BNP Central Information Secretary Agha Hassan Baloch, Central Labour Secretary Musa Baloch, Central Human Rights Secretary Ahmed Nawaz Baloch, members of the Central Executive Committee and other senior party leaders, Sajid Tareen said Akhtar Mengal was being deliberately targeted for highlighting the real issues facing Balochistan.
He recalled that the same chief minister, as a senator three years ago, had warned that denying rights to Balochistan’s youth could push them towards violence, remarks which, he said, now stand in sharp contrast to the government’s current stance. Tareen stressed that the BNP’s position remains clear: violence is not a solution to Balochistan’s problems, as it only results in the loss of innocent lives.
He accused the government of deepening alienation in the province’s youth through flawed policies and governance failures. He questioned the government’s writ when 12 districts of Balochistan were under attack, asking where the administration was at that critical time.
Sajid Tareen further alleged that the ruling setup thrives in instability, knowing that under normal conditions its members would struggle to win even local council elections. He maintained that the Balochistan issue is political in nature and can only be resolved through serious and meaningful dialogue.
Reaffirming the party’s resolve, he said the BNP, under the leadership of Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, would continue to raise its voice against injustice, adding that press conferences, false cases and coercive actions would not silence the party.
