Mastung: In Balochistan’s Mastung district, the main highways at the Lakpass area have been blocked by the provincial government for the past 15 days, while the sit-in by the participants of the long march coming from Quetta also continues without interruption.
Yesterday marked the 14th day of the sit-in. On the occasion, Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal addressed the participants, sharply criticizing the country’s political leadership and reaffirming the commitment to continue the struggle for the rights of the Baloch people.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal said, “Some dogs are barking from here and there, but we are sitting here for our land. Your Bhutto was imprisoned and gave his life for power. We have been imprisoned and martyred for our soil. You were jailed for theft and looting the national treasury, while we are sacrificing for our principles.”
He added, “Those who raised the slogan of ‘Roti, Kapra, Makaan’ (Bread, Clothing, Shelter) gave us shrouds, graves, and bullets instead, and set our sacred places on fire.”
Criticizing the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he said, “All parties came here to show sympathy, but PPP and PML-N did not, because power is more important to them.”
“We do not want to go to Quetta to loot and plunder, but to demand the honorable release of our women who are being unjustly imprisoned”.
“I challenge Sadiq Umrani and Ali Madad Jatak, after we leave, bring your leaders here and hold a sit-in like we have. We’ve been sitting at this desolate place for fourteen days.”
He also mocked former President Asif Ali Zardari, saying, “Zardari caught the Laghari fever after making a deal over Sindh. He is hiding in a hospital just to escape the public’s anger.”
“You cannot even face our men; forget about confronting our women. Baloch women are conscious, courageous, and patriotic,” he stated.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal said, “Don’t just pray for my life, pray that Allah grants us a death with dignity.”
