BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has firmly rejected government requests to end the ongoing sit-in protest at Lak Pass, vowing to march on Quetta if demands are not met today. Mengal warned that the protest would not end on verbal assurances alone and that the party is prepared for decisive action.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq contacted Akhtar Mengal and assured him that his demands would be presented to the Prime Minister. However, Mengal responded that assurances without concrete steps would not suffice, reiterating that the sit-in will continue until practical measures are taken.

On Saturday, a high-level delegation from the Balochistan government visited the protest camp in Mastung’s Lak Pass, urging demonstrators to call off the sit-in. The delegation included former Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Balochistan Assembly Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola, and Provincial Education Minister Raheela Durrani.

According to sources, the provincial government asked protest leaders to avoid marching towards Quetta’s Red Zone and instead restrict their route to Shahwani Road via Sariab Road. However, the BNP leadership has yet to make a final decision, and the protest camp remains active.

This was the third official delegation sent for negotiations, but no breakthrough has been achieved so far.

Government warns of legal action

In a press conference on Saturday, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind expressed security concerns regarding BNP-M’s planned long march and suggested legal action may follow. He said certain recent incidents had heightened these concerns, and the government had reviewed speeches made by protest leaders.

Rind stated that despite exercising patience, the government has negotiated twice with protest leaders and even offered them access up to Shahwani Stadium via Sariab Road—an offer they refused. He warned that Section 144 remains in effect across the province, and violations will be dealt with strictly.

He further alleged that some BNP-M members are intent on “taking the Red Zone hostage,” stressing that the government will not allow this and is prepared to respond within the bounds of the law. Still, he expressed hope that the matter could be resolved through dialogue.

March set to begin April 6

BNP-M has announced it will begin its long march toward Quetta on April 6 and instructed its supporters to reach the Lak Pass protest site by April 5. The party is demanding the release of all Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders.

The planned march has drawn support from several opposition parties, including the National Party, PTI, ANP, and others—raising expectations of a major political mobilization.

Meanwhile, the government has taken strict measures to prevent protestors from entering Quetta, erecting containers at entry points, boosting security, and deploying additional personnel.

Backchannel talks underway

According to private media sources, political and tribal figures are engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations. Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has reportedly met with opposition leaders Dr. Malik Baloch and Maulana Abdul Wasey during the Eid holidays.

In a recent session of the Balochistan Assembly, Bugti proposed forming a committee to resolve the crisis, suggesting that Dr. Malik or Opposition Leader Younis Aziz Zehri could lead it.