BNP (Balochistan National Party) chief Akhtar Jan Mengal said that people asked him why the announcement of the long march was delayed. “To them, I say (in Brahui): ‘Paden kar kan’ meaning one should let the food cool before eating it. Just as landhi is prepared and cooked in a specific way, we must also proceed thoughtfully and strategically.”
He further said, “Instead of putting women behind bars, Sarfraz Bugti should have arranged for dupattas (scarves) to be placed on their heads. But you have chosen to blacken your face on a military griddle.”
Referring to historical resistance, Akhtar Mengal stated, “During the time of Khan Mehrab Khan, powerful empires existed in neighboring lands that the British conquered with ease. When Khan Mehrab Khan gathered his forces, his ministers and advisors told him that the British army was too strong and that it would be better to surrender. But Khan Mehrab Khan replied: ‘I know I cannot defeat the British, but the turban placed on my head by the people demands that I fight and embrace martyrdom.’”
Akhtar Mengal emphasized, “If the state has opted for confrontation and has gone mad, then it is our duty to resist it. If even curses and condemnation cannot stop this state, then surely, on either side of Chiltan, we’ll find some stones to fight back with.”
In his speech delivered partly in Brahui, Mengal used strong language, saying, “Let us be. Leave us to our fate. Otherwise, we will protest in Quetta as well. If there is to be dialogue, come face us in the field, face us in the open grounds of Quetta. We have only one demand: release the detained women and men. We want nothing else. We don’t care about your assembly seats filled with poultry chicks and big-bellied men. What matters to us most is our identity, dignity and honor.”
He added, “Sarfraz Bugti may be worried, but even more disturbed are those who shout support from behind like followers of Aziz Mian Qawwal. We do not want your government. May the stolen seats you hold bring you blessings for generations. We want nothing to do with them.”
Announcing protest plans, Akhtar Mengal said, “The long march will begin the day after tomorrow, and tomorrow morning, an awareness rally will be held in Mastung because some people are unaware of the march due to the suspension of social media. Comrades from BSO will make announcements, but discipline is essential. I don’t want us to move like a herd of sheep, one going one way, another going another.”
Akhtar Mengal asked the sit-in participants to pledge that they will safeguard the honor of women’s dupattas and the turbans of elders. The crowd responded affirmatively. Upon hearing this, Mengal declared, “Then victory will be ours!”
The long march towards Quetta will begin at 9 AM on April 6.
