QUETTA: The Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) on Saturday threatened to consider parting ways with the ruling PDM alliance if the federal and provincial governments did not immediately address the issue of missing persons and its other demands.

BNP-M’s Senior Vice President Abdul Wali Kakar and Secretary General Waja Jahanzeb Baloch issued the warning while speaking at a press conference after attending a token hunger strike camp set up by the party outside the Quetta Press Club against enforced disappearances and alleged human rights violations in the province.

Minister of State Hashim Notezai, MPAs Naseer Ahmed Shahwani, Akhtar Hussain Langove, Sana Baloch, Mir Akbar Mengal, Ahmed Nawaz and Shakila Dehwar were among the leaders who observed the token hunger strike.

The BNP leaders said a party delegation during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had informed him about the situation prevailing in the province.

They said the prime minister assured BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal that he would pay a visit to Quetta to review the situation.

They regretted that a provincial minister was facing allegations of killing two people while forces were allegedly disappearing political activists and even women were being picked up from their homes.

“If this situation continues, the party will decide its future line of action after taking allies into confidence,” Mr Kakar said, adding the party would not delay tabling a no-trust resolution in the Balochistan Assembly to remove the government.

They rejected the government’s claims about Mahal Baloch, who was arrested by the CTD a few days ago.

Waja Baloch said BNP was not in favour of delaying the elections.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2023