QUETTA: Former Balo­chistan Assembly MPA Syed Ehsan Shah merged his party with the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) on Tuesday.

On the eve of the Senate elections in 2021, Mr Shah, the president of Pakistan National Party (PNP), promised the merger after the dissolution of assemblies.

While announcing the decision at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Shah also reposed faith in the leadership of BNP-M President Sardar Akhtar Mengal.

He vowed to continue the struggle for the rights of people from the new platform.

Former MPA reposes faith in leadership of Akhtar Mengal

He said it was time for all Baloch nationalists to unite on one platform to secure the rights of the people of Balochistan.

“Baloch nationalists are divided among different political parties and groups due to which our issues are not being resolved,” said Mr Shah, who was health minister in the previous government led by Abdul Quddus Bizenjo.

Mr Shah’s spouse was already a senator on the ticket of BNP-M.

PNP was set up after Mr Shah left the Balochistan National Party-Awami due to the differences with party leadership two years ago.

Mr Mengal and BNP-M leaders, including Waja Jahanzeb Baloch, Abdul Ghafoor Bizenjo, Mir Akhtar Hussain Langove and Mir Hammal Kalmati, were also present on the occasion.

The BNP-M head welcomed Mr Shah into his party and also extended the invitation to all nationalist parties for collective struggle.

“I’m ready to follow the leaders of the alliance as a worker and do not need any office,” he said.

According to Mr Mengal, his party was making a democratic struggle to re­­solve the province’s issues.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2023