ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Saturday ruled out any possibility of rejoining the ruling coalition after attending an all-parties conference (APC) of the Balochistan-based political parties called by Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Speaking at a joint new conference along with leaders of various Balochistan-based parties and flanked by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the BNP-M chief said his party had been issuing warnings to the government with regards to its failure to resolve the problems of the people of Balochistan but to no avail.
Mengal said his party is now on the independent benches in the parliament, and it is now beyond his capacity to rejoin the government.
Mengal said it his party's central executive committee (CEC) decided to quit the coalition.
"If the government is serious in resolving the problems of Balochistan people, not only the BNP, but the entire Balochistan will join the PTI," he added.
To a question if his party would support the finance bill in the parliament, Mengal ruled out any possibility to extend its support, saying that his party was no more in the government.
In response to a question about the assets of Sardars (tribal chiefs) of Balochistan, Mengal stated the assets and wealth of all the Sardars of Balochistan should be kept on one side, and be compared with the assets and wealth of only three generals - General Musharraf, General Ziaul Haq and General Ayub Khan.
"You will then be able to determine as to who is a billionaire and [who's a] millionaire," he added.
On the question of possibility of no confidence motion in National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not come with a clear stance, saying: "the option does exist, we do enjoy the majority, but what happened in the Senate against the chairman [Sanjrani], we have to think again and again on such an option in the future."
Sharing the decisions of the APC, he said that the forum expressed serious concerns over the statements by the government authorities on 18th Constitutional Amendment.
"Today's meeting expresses serous concerns over the government's designs with regard to the 18th amendment and the APC decides that implementation should be made on the amendment as per its spirits," Maulana read the joint statement of the APC, adding that no changes to the amendment would be accepted.
In the 10th National Finance Commission (NFC) award, he added that as per the Article 160 (3A), the share of the provinces is agreed to be 57.5 percent and no reduction to this affect will be accepted.
He said that the APC decided that the political forces will resist at every forum, if the federal government made any attempt to bring changes in the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the NFC award.
"The meeting strongly condemns the deliberate attempts to undermine the power of the country's federal, constitutional and political system, the political forces and the political institutions - the Parliament - and instead promoting non-political elements and dummies," he further stated, adding only the "truly" elected Parliament and assemblies could steer the country out of the present challenges.
"The meeting also demands an immediate end to the 'brutal' powers of the Frontier Corps (FC) in the country in general and in Balochistan in particular, and also calls for recovery of the missing persons across the country, particularly in Balochistan," the JUI-F chief added.
He said that the meeting also condemned the ongoing "unconstitutional" arrests across the country, and demanded that the "unlawful and inhuman" arrests should be stopped immediately, and those arrested be freed forthwith.
"The meeting demands an immediate end to the state-sponsored 'death squad' in Balochistan," he said, adding that it also demanded the re-opening of Taftan and Chaman borders, and the local population should be allowed to continue business activities as per the law.
He said that the APC also held a detailed discussion on the projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and felt that Balochistan had been completely neglected in the mega CPEC projects.
He said that the APC demanded that implementation should be made on the CPEC projects in all the provinces alike.
He said that the APC also condemned the government's negligence with regard to the locusts' attacks in Balochistan, adding that the meeting noted that the locusts' had spread to all the provinces, and the provincial governments had completely failed to deal with the situation.
He said that the APC also noted that the federal and provincial governments had completely failed to deal with the situation arising out of the spread of coronavirus across the country, adding that there had been no arrangements in place in the public sector hospitals for common man.
He said that the meeting demanded that urgent measures be taken in that regard.
He said that the APC also demanded that fake domiciles in Balochistan should immediately be revoked, so that to ensure the rights of the locals.
Maulana further stated that the APC also demanded that the Senate, which was the symbol of the federation, should be given more powers.
To a question whether JUI-F together with the BNP would strive for an in-house change in Balochistan provincial assembly, the JUI-F chief gave no further details, but stated: "We consider PTI and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) as 'twin sisters' and obviously, we cannot go along with them."
He declined to comment on the similar question, adding that it was up to the provincial parties to decide the future strategy with regards to the provincial government.
To another question about his anti-government movement, Maulana said that he suspended his movement and political activities soon after the coronavirus pandemic was declared at the State level, adding that seminaries were closed; examinations were suspended, and he agreed on the SOPs with regards to the mosques.
"But when we felt that the government started to take 'unlawful' decisions by taking advantage of the suspended political activities, therefore, we were also forced to resume our activities at limited level," he said, adding that process of contacts with all the political parties had been started.
At present, he said that the contacts were at the provincial level, and it would soon be extended to the central level to pave the way for another APC at the central level to decide about the future course of action.
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