The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), led by Sardar Akhtar Mengal, has launched a province-wide protest movement after its long march toward Quetta was blocked by authorities at Lakpass. In response, the party has called for a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike across Balochistan, while protest sit-ins have begun in several districts.
According to Akhtar Mengal, the march was halted due to government-installed barricades near the Lakpass Tunnel, where the main sit-in will now continue indefinitely. “Until the long march is allowed to proceed toward Quetta, the Lakpass sit-in will persist — even if it takes ten days or months,” Mengal declared. He further warned that any harm to party workers would be the responsibility of state institutions and the provincial government.
Party workers across the province have been instructed to begin sit-ins at their current locations. Meanwhile, a significant contingent of security forces has been deployed at the Lakpass protest site, raising fears of a potential crackdown on the peaceful demonstrators.
Reports suggest that at least 20 BNP-M activists have already been arrested in Quetta’s Sona Khan area. In Sibi district, senior BNP-M leaders including District Vice President Gul Rehman Marri, General Secretary Malik Sultan, and several others were detained by police. The provincial government has intensified efforts to block the long march, digging trenches and placing containers at key entry points to Quetta. Mobile networks in and around the city have also been suspended.
The government has made it clear that if Sardar Akhtar Mengal attempts to enter Quetta, he will be arrested. Meanwhile, convoys of those participating in the long march from areas like Noshki and Gwadar heading toward Mastung have also been stopped. In Gwadar, Section 144 has been imposed and residents have been instructed to stay indoors. In Hub, BNP-M workers staged a sit-in at Bhawani Chowk, blocking traffic on the Karachi-Quetta highway.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has expressed full support for BNP-M’s call for highway blockades and the shutter-down strike. In a statement, the BYC condemned the government’s crackdown on the long march, arrests of political workers, and violent suppression of peaceful protests, labeling it “a brutal form of state terrorism.”
BYC further stated that the Pakistani state has imposed “fascism” in Balochistan, where freedom of expression has been completely curtailed, and political dissent is met with imprisonment and repression. The committee noted that several of its own leaders are currently behind bars for raising their voices against human rights violations in the region.
The BYC reiterated its support for BNP-M’s protest strategy and urged activists across Balochistan to block all major highways and ensure the success of the strike.
As tensions continue to escalate, the situation remains fluid, with fears growing over a possible crackdown on demonstrators and further arrests of political leaders and activists.