The sit-in organized by the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) entered its seventh day in Mastung on Thursday. Led by party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the protesters outlined three demands in response to the arrests of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activists, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch.
The sit-in, initiated by a stalled “long march” from Wadh to Quetta, continues at Lakpass with increasing support.
Mengal addressed the crowd unwaveringly despite stalled talks with the government. “Release all BYC prisoners, including women; let us march to Quetta for a peaceful sit-in, or arrest us,” he declared. He presented these demands to a provincial delegation, including Zahoor Ahmed Buledi and Additional Home Chief Secretary Zahid Saleem, but no breakthrough emerged.
" 6 اپریل صبح نوبجے کوئٹہ کے لئے روانہ ہونگے، حکومت اس بیابان میں ہماری باتیں نہیں سن رہا اب کوئٹہ کے میدان میں بات ہوگی۔سرکار نے لانگ مارچ میں شرکت کرنے والوں کے راستے میں رکاوٹ ڈالی تو قافلے وہی پر دھرنہ دینگے pic.twitter.com/pq2f0Pzb6h
— Balochistan National Party (@MediaCellBNP_) April 3, 2025The protest, backed by PTI and the Sunni Ittehad Council, follows the release of BYC’s Sammi Deen Baloch on Tuesday. Yet, Mengal warned, “The government can use force, but it’ll face the fallout.” Talks faltered despite a two-day extension requested by the delegation, ending Thursday night. “If prisoners aren’t freed, we’ll head to Quetta,” he vowed.
Read: BNP-M Chief Akhtar Mengal Threatens Long March to Quetta
A BNP-M leader and ex-senator slammed the government’s response. “All highways are shut due to incompetence,” he said. Closed routes, including the Lakpass Tunnel and Quetta-Karachi National Highway, have isolated Quetta from 12 districts for a week. Mobile and internet outages compound the chaos, yet the sit-in swells as families of missing persons join in.
The leader praised Mengal’s peaceful push. “He’s fighting for Baloch women, children, and the missing,” he said. Despite roadblocks and ditches dug by authorities, turnout grows. The BNP-M vows to press on until their demands are met, spotlighting a deepening crisis in Balochistan.
