Quetta [Balochistan], October 19 : Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has questioned the effectiveness of repeated military operations in Pakistan's Balochistan province, saying the region continues to face unrest and that many young people have taken to the mountains.
According to The Balochistan Post, Mengal criticised the security operations, which authorities have justified as necessary to combat militancy, and questioned whether they had delivered the intended results.
“Today, Balochistan is burning, and its youth have taken to the mountains,” Mengal said, questioning how many operations was conducted in the province and what they achieved, The Balochistan Post reported.
His remarks come amid continuing tensions in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area, which has witnessed a long-running insurgency, security operations and political disputes. The province is strategically important because of its natural resources, its coastline along the Arabian Sea and its role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
However, disputes over resource distribution, political representation, enforced disappearances and demands for greater provincial autonomy have remained major sources of friction.
Baloch separatist groups have carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces and other targets, while the Pakistani state has maintained security operations against armed groups. Rights organisations and Baloch activists have repeatedly raised concerns about alleged enforced disappearances and abuses, allegations that have remained central to public grievances in the province.
The Balochistan Post also reported that Mengal drew a parallel between the situation in Balochistan and the political developments in neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, referring to the reported arrests of former chief minister Sohail Afridi's associates and the alleged disappearance of elected representatives.
Mengal questioned how democratic institutions could function when elected officials were allegedly missing and peaceful protests were restricted. He argued that the disappearance of a provincial assembly speaker was particularly serious because the position is constitutionally significant.
“The people of Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are made to feel that they are slaves, but until we become one nation, we will continue to be kept as slaves,” he said, as quoted by The Balochistan Post.
He further criticised the presence in assemblies of lawmakers he described as elected through “Form 47”, a reference to allegations of electoral manipulation following Pakistan's 2024 general elections.
As reported by The Balochistan Post, Mengal argued that the absence of elected representatives and restrictions on peaceful political activity raised serious questions about democratic governance.