QUETTA: Balochistan National Party President Sardar Akhtar Mengal was barred from travelling abroad and offloaded on Sunday from a Dubai-bound plane at Quetta airport.

Immigration officials at the Quetta airport info­rmed Mr Mengal that his name has been placed in the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), a temporary travel ban to stop people from going abroad.

After the incident, Mr Mengal issued a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying he has been stopped from travelling abroad without prior notice or any explanation.

“Today I was stopped at Quetta Airport from flying to Dubai. Airport officials informed me that my name is on the PNIL. This decision was made without my knowledge and without any clear reason,” Mr Mengal wrote on X.

A BNP spokesperson condemned the move, calling it another example of political victimisation and an attack on democratic values.

The spokesman demanded that Mr Mengal’s name be immediately removed from the list and those responsible for the decision be held accountable.

No official reason has been given by the government so far for placing Mr Mengal’s name on PNIL.

BNP’s central information secretary, Agha Hassan Baloch, also condemned the travel restriction placed on the BNP president and termed the government move unconstitutional and politically motivated.

He said the action of the government was a clear violation of Mr Mengal’s constitutional right to freedom of movement and an attempt to suppress fundamental human rights.

“We demand an immediate explanation from authorities concerned. Such repressive tactics are unacceptable in a democratic setup. Political dissent and public representation must not be criminalised,” Mr Hassan said.

Sana Baloch, another BNP leader, said: “We demand a prompt explanation from authorities concerned and immediate removal of Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s name from the PNIL. These authoritarian measures are unacceptable. Targeting political opposition and elected representatives is incompatible with constitutional democracy.”

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025