Pakistan's repressive grip tightens as Balochistan suffocates under fear and deprivation

Balochistan [Pakistan], November 22 (ANI): The Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) has issued a scathing criticism of the Sarfraz Bugti-led provincial government, accusing it of ruling Balochistan through "fear, intimidation, and deception."

The party warned that the state's coercive approach is driving growing resentment among the province's people and urged Pakistan to embrace dialogue instead of force, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, the BNP-Mengal spokesperson described the current administration as a "Form-47 government", a term often used to highlight manipulated elections, comprising "non-political individuals." The party accused the Bugti government of distracting citizens from worsening power and gas shortages, prolonged internet shutdowns, and extensive road closures, all allegedly maintained to "keep corruption thriving."

The BNP-Mengal claimed that the government's talk of reforms and partnerships is merely a "smokescreen" to safeguard political interests within a fragile, short-lived power-sharing setup. The spokesperson also noted that growing criticism from within the ruling coalition itself reflected the administration's declining credibility.

Targeting the government's double standards, the BNP-Mengal statement pointed out that while officials boast of sending Baloch students to Oxford University, they have cut off internet access across the province, depriving youth of education and connectivity. The party further condemned restrictions under Section 144 that have shut down major highways, while the Red Zone in Quetta remains sealed "for the regime's own safety."

The spokesperson added that Pakistan's measures, carried out under the pretext of anti-smuggling operations and border control, have devastated local trade and rendered "hundreds of thousands jobless," as cited by The Balochistan Post.

He warned that Pakistan's decision to govern Balochistan through "force rather than dialogue" has only deepened a long-standing sense of deprivation and alienation.

"This self-serving elite may one day lose power," he said, "but the wounds they inflict will scar Balochistan for decades." Concluding, the BNP-Mengal spokesperson stated "end its colonial-style policies" and engage with the Baloch people, insisting that "resistance cannot be crushed by fear, only by justice and dialogue," as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)

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