QUETTA: In response to an appeal from the Balochistan National Party (BNP), a widespread strike (Peyah Jham Hartal) was observed across Balochistan recently, affecting ground communication with other parts of the country, as protesters staged sit-ins in most major cities of the province.
During this period, tensions escalated when both rival groups of the Mengal tribe accused each other of abducting, killing, and forcibly disappearing their party workers.
The conflict has been ongoing for a long time between Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Shafiqur Rahman Mengal. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, has blamed state institutions for the deteriorating situation in Wadh due to “government-backed armed groups” allegedly disrupting peace in the province. On the other hand, the opposing party, Shafiqur Rahman Mengal, refutes these allegations.
The responsibility for the deteriorating situation in Wadh has been attributed to Sardar Akhtar Mengal and his brother. On the other hand, Akhtar Mengal accuses the Shafiq Mengal group of being responsible for the lootings and plundering in Wadh, Balochistan.
After the 2002 general elections, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Mir Shafiq Mengal’s supporters clashed over a land dispute in the city of Wadh. However, due to the intervention of political and tribal leaders, the situation did not escalate into a full-blown conflict.
Importance of Wadh:
Wadh is a tehsil (subdivision) located in the district of Khuzdar in Balochistan, Pakistan. It lies approximately 400 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital, Quetta, on the Quetta-Karachi highway.
Wadh consists of challenging mountainous regions and is inhabited by various Baloch tribes, with the majority being the Mengal tribe.
The security situation in this region is critically tense due to the ongoing feud between two groups of the Mengal tribe (Akhtar Mengal and Shafiq Mengal), leading to difficulties and hardships for the local residents.
Who are Akhtar Mengal and Shafiq Mengal?
Sardar Akhtar Mengal is the head of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and a member of the National Assembly at present. Both he and his father, Sardar Attaullah Mengal, have served as the Chief Minister of Balochistan.
hafiq Mengal is the Nazim of the Wadh tehsil, and his father, Mir Naseer Mengal, has held prominent positions as the Caretaker Chief Minister, Senator, and federal minister in Balochistan.
The Real Culprit
Balochistan National Party and Sardar Akhtar Mengal are held responsible for numerous serious crimes, such as forced disappearances, killings, and abductions.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal has been accused of oppressing people, carrying out abductions, and exercising unlawful control over private jails. He is also blamed for the recent unrest in Wadh and Khuzdar, where a significant number of people have gone missing, and he has been actively involved in abducting, killing, and forcibly disappearing people, all while falsely implicating state institutions.
The majority of Balochistan’s people believe that Sardar Akhtar Mengal is the mastermind behind the “Indian death squads,” involved in conspiracies against the country.
According to Shafiq Mengal, their supporters were forcibly abducted by Akhtar Mengal’s men to pressure them to abandon their support for Mir Shafiqur Rahman. Currently, 22 people, including women, are detained in private jails run by Akhtar Mengal.
Akhtar Mengal forms armed groups to carry out forced disappearances, killings, abductions, and extortion, and he resorts to violence against people to maintain his influence, even being involved in the killings of innocent individuals.
