Akhtar Mengal

Akhtar Mengal (Urdu: اختر مینگل; born 6 October 1962) is a Pakistani politician from Balochistan who is the chairman of Balochistan National Party (Mengal). He previously served as the Chief Minister of Balochistan between 1997 and 1998 and later he served as a member of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly.[1] Mengal also served as a member of National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023.[2]

Sardar Akhtar Mengal
اختر مینگل
9th Chief Minister of Balochistan
In office
22 February 1997 – 15 June 1998
Preceded byZulfikar Ali Magsi
Succeeded byJan Mohammad Jamali
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023
ConstituencyNA-269 (Khuzdar)
Personal details
Born (1962-10-06) 6 October 1962
Wadh, Khuzdar, West Pakistan, Pakistan
(now, Balochistan, Pakistan)
Political partyBalochistan National Party (Mengal)
ChildrenBanari Mengal, Gurgain Mengal, Brahem Mengal
Parent

Early life

Mengal was born on 6 October 1962[3] in Wadh, West Pakistan (now, Balochistan, Pakistan) to the former Chief Minister of Balochistan Ataullah Mengal. Mengal has a son, Gurgain Mengal and a daughter, Banari Mengal.[4]

Political career

Mengal came to Pakistan after ending his self exile in Dubai on 25 March 2013 after four years to participate in 2013 election.[5] The party only has two seats in the 51 member provincial assembly. One is Mengal's and the other is Hamal Kalmati, who represents Gwadar. Two candidates of the BNP, Esa Noori and Raouf Mengal, won national assembly seats from the Makran coastal region and Khuzdar, respectively.[6][7] He took an oath as a member of National Assembly of Pakistan on 13 August 2018.[8]

Arrest and release

Akhtar Mengal was arrested in September 2006, along with around 700 other political workers,[9] in a government crackdown in Balochistan. He was held because he was planning a long march against President Pervez Musharraf's military rule. Mengal was released on May 9, 2008[10] and all charges against him were dropped by the Government of Sindh. The Balochistan government withdrew all cases, including those of sedition, against Mengal.[11][12]

On 25 March 2013, Mengal returned to Pakistan from Dubai to take part in general elections on 11 May 2013.[13]

Uneasy relationship with the Baloch insurgency

Akhtar Mengal has been historically criticised by the Baloch insurgents as well as the security establishment.[14] In his interview in 2013, he lamented that, “The Baloch militants consider me a traitor while the security establishment also treats me as an enemy."[15] He is an elder of various such influential families who have their members on both sides of the political divide.[16] Currently a part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement[17] (a 13 party coalition currently in power at the Federal level), the association of his brother and nephews with the Baloch Liberation Army[18] has long been an obstacle to his entry in the mainstream national politics. Javed Mengal (brother) and Nooruddin Mengal and Bhawal Mengal (nephews) have allegedly been involved[19] in armed militancy in the rest province of Balochistan. However, Akhtar Mengal has condemned the insurgents and publicly called for a political solution to the myriad problems in the province.[19]

References
  1. Aamir, Adnan (2015-01-19). "Exclusive Interview Of Akhtar Mengal – Balochistan Point". The Balochistan Point. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  2. Correspondent, The Newspaper's Staff (2018-08-13). "BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal to retain his NA seat". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  3. "Akhtar Mengal Age, Daughter, biography, Family 2018". ARYNEWS. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  4. "Banari Mengal - The Express Tribune Blog". Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  5. "Balochistan National Party". DAWN.COM. 2018-07-17. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  6. "Akhtar Mengal returns to Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  7. Haider, Jaan. "Akhtar Mengal wins from Khuzdar | Pakistan Today". Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  8. "National Assembly of Pakistan". na.gov.pk. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  9. "Akhtar Mengal to record statement before SC today". The Nation. 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  10. "Mengal freed; worried about missing workers". DAWN.COM. 2008-05-10. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  11. "Process to withdraw cases against Baloch leaders starts | Samaa Digital". Samaa TV. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  12. Shahid, Saleem (2008-04-22). "Balochistan govt drops cases against Mengal". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  13. "Pervaiz Khattak likely to retain KP CM office". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  14. "Mengal admits foreign involvement in Balochistan". The Express Tribune. 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  15. "Mengal admits foreign involvement in Balochistan". The Express Tribune. 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  16. "Balochistan election candidates: Brothers in arms". The Express Tribune. 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  17. Gurmani, Nadir (2019-06-14). "PPP invites BNP's Mengal to join opposition". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  18. "Mengal admits foreign involvement in Balochistan". The Express Tribune. 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  19. "Mengal admits foreign involvement in Balochistan". The Express Tribune. 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
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