BNP-M complains of being coerced into voting

Tareen says two party senators are being threatened

ISLAMABAD:

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Acting President Sajid Tareen claimed on Sunday that his party's lawmakers were being threatened and pressurised to vote for the proposed constitutional amendment package.

Talking to reporters, Tareen said that the farmhouses had been raided.

He made it clear that party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who resigned from his National Assembly seat, had no intention of returning home.

"The government has started threatening the BNP-Mengal," Tareen said. "Absolutely, we are being intimidated," Tareen replied, when he was asked whether they were being threatened to force them to vote for the constitutional amendment package.

The government had announced plans to table a constitutional amendment bill in parliament, aimed at introducing judicial reforms in the country. The bill was expected to be presented in the National Assembly and the Senate on Sunday, but the matter was put off till Monday.

Our two senators are constantly being threatened. The houses of both our senators were raided, their farmhouses were raided," Tareen said. Wherever our businesses are, we are being harassed. This has always been the case with Balochistan," he added.

When asked about Akhtar Mengal, who went to Dubai after resigning from the National Assembly seat, Tareen said that Mengal had no intention of returning home. "In the meeting with the government, our concerns were not removed," he added.

Akhtar Mengal resigned from the National Assembly seat on September 3, citing his frustration over a lack of interest in Balochistan's issues.

"I had decided today to speak in the Assembly about Balochistan's problems, but there is no interest in Balochistan's matters," Mengal had said.

After resigning Mengal left for Dubai. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the BNP chief tweeted: "I have already resigned and have no intention of returning to parliament. They believe they will convince me to change my decision."

After the announcement of his resignation, both the government and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader urged him to reconsider his decision and remain a voice for Balochistan in the legislature but the BNP-M chief remained undeterred.

In a last-ditch effort to sway Mengal, a government delegation led by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah met him. Accompanied by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Usman Badini, Aijaz Jakhrani, and Khalid Magsi, Sanaullah urged the BNP-M chief to remain in parliament.

However, Mengal said in his tweet: "I tried to convince all but they were not willing to resolve the issues of Balochistan. I was not in Pakistan but came to the country to relieve myself from the burden I was carrying for months. However, I am relaxed now and hope that others will also perceive the reality."