The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) has officially ended its 20-day-long sit-in protest at Lak Pass, Mastung, which had caused major road blockages and economic disruption across the region. The sit-in was launched to demand the release of prominent Baloch rights activists, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), who were arrested during a government crackdown.
Party leader Akhtar Mengal announced the decision to wrap up the protest on Wednesday, citing growing public inconvenience due to the prolonged highway shutdowns. He emphasized that while the sit-in has concluded, the BNP-M’s campaign for justice is far from over. The movement will now pivot to district-level rallies to keep the pressure on authorities and mobilize local communities.
The protest began following a wave of arrests, including that of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and 16 others who were detained from their Quetta protest camp. Demonstrators had accused police of using deadly force, allegedly resulting in the deaths of three protestors. In a related incident, Sindh police arrested BYC’s Sammi Deen Baloch during protests in Karachi, though she was later released.
The road closures, especially those connecting Quetta with Karachi and Taftan, severely disrupted trade routes. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) reported millions in daily financial losses, with over 1,200 trucks and containers — including 847 fuel tankers from Iran — stuck at the Pak-Iran border.
In a show of political unity, BNP-M also convened an All Parties Conference earlier this week, where leaders passed a joint resolution demanding constitutional safeguards for Balochistan as outlined in the 1948 Instrument of Accession. The resolution called for an immediate national dialogue to address the region’s longstanding grievances.
The BNP-M’s strategic shift signals that while the roads may be open again, the political fight is far from over.
