ISLAMABAD (MNN) – National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday accepted the resignation of senior politician Sardar Akhtar Mengal, chief of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M).
Mengal was elected as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-256 Khuzdar in the 2024 general elections. He had submitted his resignation in September 2024, citing the “prevailing situation in Balochistan” as the reason for stepping down.
Reacting to the acceptance of his resignation, Mengal said on social media that the ruling PML-N had finally approved it after considerable delay, which he claimed reflected the party’s unease. He questioned whether it was the applause he received or his ability to draw crowds in Punjab’s political heartland that had unsettled his opponents, apparently referring to his recent participation in a discussion on Balochistan at the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore.
At the conference, Mengal criticised recent political and electoral developments, alleging that mainstream Baloch political leadership had been sidelined. He also voiced concerns over restrictions on political activity, media access and civil liberties.
In a post on X, Mengal stated that he had not withdrawn a single rupee since submitting his resignation and had vacated Parliament Lodges 17 months ago. He said all entitled funds remained in Parliament’s account and that he had not resided in the lodges since leaving.
Background to Resignation
Mengal had resigned following heightened security tensions in Balochistan after the deadly attacks across the province on August 26, 2024, and growing protests over enforced disappearances.
Soon after his resignation, both the government and the opposition PTI had urged him to reconsider and continue representing Balochistan’s voice in the National Assembly.
In July 2025, Mengal was barred from traveling abroad after immigration authorities at Quetta airport informed him that his name had been placed on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), a temporary travel restriction list. Two months later, the Balochistan High Court declared the travel ban illegal and ordered its immediate removal.
‘Marginalised and Ignored’
In his resignation letter addressed to the NA speaker, Mengal wrote that the prevailing situation in Balochistan had compelled him to step down.
He stated that the province had consistently been marginalised and ignored, and that there was a lack of genuine representation for the people of Balochistan in the Assembly. He added that attempts to raise concerns or protest were often met with hostility, and that voices from the province were either silenced, labelled as traitors, or worse.
Mengal concluded that under such circumstances, he found it impossible to continue serving in the Assembly, as his presence no longer served any meaningful purpose for the people he represented.
