KARACHI: Detained former chief minister of Balochistan Akhtar Mengal has welcomed the withdrawal of cases against him by the Balochistan government, but said he was waiting for the end to a case in which he has been detained for more than a year.
“Mengal appreciates the Pakistan Peoples Party government’s gesture under which all the cases have been withdrawn in Balochistan, including a treason case,” said his spokesman Akhtar Lango. “But he is wondering why the only case against him in Karachi is not being withdrawn?”
Mengal was arrested last year on charges of kidnapping and torturing personnel of an intelligence agency. He was recently taken to hospital from Karachi Central Prison.
Lango, who is an ex-MPA, said that Mengal was facing 19 FIRs in Balochistan. Of them five were already quashed by the high court, and the remaining 14 have been officially withdrawn. Now, he is only facing a case in Karachi, which continues to exist even though the government and the PPP leadership was willing withdraw all cases against him.
Responding to a question, Lango said that Mengal’s party would not participate in the proposed All Parties Conference (APC) on Balochistan’s problems because they believed it would not be results-oriented till basic issues were addressed. Like other Baloch nationalists, Mengal is of the view that the government should end the Balochistan operation, send the military back to the barracks, and release all Baloch prisoners. razzak abro
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