BNP president may contest upcoming elections

A formal decision in the matter expected to be taken soon.

Balochistan National Party has decided to contest the upcoming elections, Express News reported on Tuesday.

A formal decision is expected to be announced soon.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal, a former chief minister and president of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) had returned to Pakistan from Dubai on Monday.

He will preside over a meeting of the central committee of the BNP to review the prevailing political situation in the context of participating in the general elections.

Mengal will also hold talks with Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif in Lahore to discuss the Balochistan situation. Nawaz is reportedly keen to forge an electoral alliance with the leading Baloch nationalist parties.

Speaking to the media at the Karachi airport, Mengal said that he had held talks with Nawaz earlier but there were no specific discussions over the upcoming elections.

He further clarified that he did not return on the request of the caretaker setup. “I had made this decision a month back… I have come here for the people of Balochistan.”

Mengal had been living in self-exile in Dubai and came to Islamabad last year to appear before the Supreme Court to give his opinion on the prevailing conditions in Balochistan.