ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq accepted the resignation of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and formally forwarded it to the Election Commission of Pakistan for further legal action, paving the way for the seat to be declared vacant in accordance with electoral procedures.
According to the sources, the Speaker accepted the resignation last night after a months-long delay and will take effect from the date it was given.
Mengal, who was elected as a member of the National Assembly from Khuzdar’s NA-256 in the February 2024 elections, had tendered his resignation on September 3, 2024, citing the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan and expressing no confidence in the state.
According to some reports, during this period Mengal had continued to enjoy the perks of an MNA, including possession of an apartment at the Parliament Lodges.
However, Akhtar Mengal said in a tweet, “For the record not one rupee has been withdrawn since my resignation. Every amount remains in Parliament’s bank. The lodges were vacated 17 months ago and I have not resided there since. Adios!”
He further said in social media post, “PML-N has at last accepted my resignation after dragging its feet long enough to expose its own fear,” referring to the speaker’s party. “Was it the applause that unsettled you or the fact that I could draw crowds in Punjab’s core?”
His resignation in September came after the province was hit by a series of deadly attacks in August that left more than 50 people dead, including 14 security personnel, as militants linked to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeted civilians, police, and security forces. A government delegation led by Prime Minister’s aide Rana Sanaullah had met Mengal in an attempt to assure him that his grievances would be addressed, but the BNP-M chief remained firm on his decision. Last year in July, Mengal was offloaded from a Dubai-bound private airline flight while travelling from Quetta to Dubai, saying immigration staff told him that his name had been placed on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).
In 2025, he also staged a 20-day sit-in at Mastung’s Lak Pass against the arrest of Baloch rights activists and alleged police action.
In a past tweet, he said, “My resignation was submitted on 3rd September 2024 by choice and with full conviction. I acknowledge the Form 47 team particularly Ayaz Sadiq for formally accepting it. This decision was taken on principle, in response to the unresolved grievances of Balochistan. Instead of addressing those grievances, the authorities chose to suppress the issue, once again demonstrating that this federation has no real space for a Baloch voice. What is now public is not just my resignation, but the mindset of those in power toward Balochistan’s suffering and how my appearance in Lahore was enough to unsettle many egos. I stand by this decision.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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