ISLAMABAD: Balochis­tan National Party (BNP) chairman Sardar Akhtar Mengal has said that the issues of Balochistan are gaining international attention due to non-resolution of the matter, owing to ‘illegitimate’ leaderships created by non-political players to govern the largest province of Pakistan.

He was speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ session at the National Press Club on Monday.

Mr Mengal said it was also a fact that the army was part of Pakistan and it could not be expelled from the country. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had offered that he could arrange a meeting with the army chief.

“Not only the army chief but I can go to the extent of American President Donald Trump if it helps resolve the issue of missing persons. I believe that the issue of Balochistan is political and it should be addressed poetically.

‘‘Any attempt to address the issue with guns will have a negative impact. Unfortunately, the government showed weakness and laziness over our issues and demands,” he said.

Speaking about positive developments, Sardar Mengal said that 10 missing persons had returned to their homes. He added that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had decided to send a parliamentary delegation to Balochistan.

Replying to a question, Sardar Mengal said that he feared that Pakistan might get involved in a proxy war again for a small chunk of money because the country had not learnt any lesson from the Afghan war and 9/11.

“Decision-makers were able to see what was written on the aeroplane during a cricket match between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but they could not see mass graves in Balochistan, which is far closer compared to London. We have given a list of 5,000 missing persons to the government. Had the issue of Balochistan been addressed, it would not have reached London and Geneva,” he said.

Responding to a question, Sardar Mengal said that transparent elections were hardly held in Pakistan.

He said in Balochistan political parties were made and then power was handed over to them. He said that neither the government nor the opposition had contacted his party on the issue of expected removal of the Senate chairman.

Speaking to Dawn, he said that Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani had been demanding that the Senate chairman should not be removed because it would be unfair to the people of the province.

“However, I believe that positions cannot improve the condition of the people of Balochistan. It is the legitimate right of the opposition to change the Senate chairman,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2019