Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal does not need an introduction. He actively participates in political activities in Balochistan, but otherwise, like Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri, he seeks medical treatment abroad. Akhtar Mengal entered politics in 1988 and won his first election on the BNA ticket from PB-31. In 1993, he won again from PB-31 Khuzdar on the BNM-N ticket.
1997 was the peak of his political career when he became the Chief Minister of Balochistan. His tenure was short, from February 22, 1997, to August 13, 1998. He won the election from PB-31 Khuzdar.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal advocates for the “missing persons” but has shown no willingness to play a role in encouraging them to lay down their weapons.
The leader of the Balochistan National Party, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, served as the Chief Minister of Balochistan from February 1997 to June 1998. His father, Sardar Attaullah Mengal, had also served as the Chief Minister.
Akhtar Mengal has won elections to the Balochistan Assembly four times since 1988 and served in the National Assembly from 2018 to 2023.
In November 1998, Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s provincial government ended. The federal government of the Pakistan Muslim League did not interfere, nor did Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif play any negative role. His government collapsed due to internal conflicts and factionalism within his party, the Balochistan National Party (BNP).
In November 1998, Sardar Akhtar Mengal was the Chief Minister of Balochistan. During party elections, his party split into two factions. One faction was led by Mahim Baloch, and the other by Sardar Attaullah Mengal. Six out of ten BNP members of the provincial assembly joined Mahim Baloch’s group, leaving only three members with the Chief Minister, Akhtar Mengal. The fourth member, Musa Jan of Kalat, remained neutral, maintaining ties with both factions.
The Democratic Watan Party of Nawab Akbar Bugti, which had ten members in the provincial assembly, had long-standing political differences with Sardar Attaullah Mengal. They strongly opposed his government. Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI also withdrew support from Akhtar Mengal’s government. Consequently, his government collapsed, and the Pakistan Muslim League elected Jan Muhammad Jamali as the Chief Minister.
In 1998, during the annual election of the Balochistan National Party, there was a contest for the party presidency between Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Mahim Khan Baloch. Tensions arose between the party’s general council members and the working groups, making the election controversial. Both Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Mahim Khan Baloch claimed to be the president, resulting in the BNP splitting into two factions.
Sardar Attaullah Mengal’s group became weaker in the provincial assembly. Of the ten assembly members, six joined Mahim Khan Baloch, and four remained with Sardar Attaullah Mengal. After the split, Nawab Akbar Bugti’s Democratic Watan Party, JUI, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Party, Pakistan Muslim League, and Mahim Khan Baloch’s BNP group collectively elected Jan Muhammad Jamali as the Chief Minister of Balochistan.
During this period, Sardar Attaullah Mengal sent a reference against the members who had left his faction to the Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retd) Abdul Qadeer Choudhry, through the Speaker Mir Abdul Jabbar. Both groups were issued notices.
Out of the approximately 100 members of the BNP General Council, most expressed no confidence in Sardar Attaullah Mengal, electing Mahin Khan Baloch as president.
In the provincial assembly, Mahim Khan Baloch’s group elected Liaquat Bangalzai as their parliamentary leader, while Sardar Attaullah Mengal’s group elected Akhtar Mengal as their leader. In this situation, constitutional proceedings were in favor of Mahan Khan Baloch’s group. Nawab Akbar Bugti openly opposed Akhtar Mengal, resulting in the dissolution of the BNP Mengal faction.
In 2006, Sardar Akhtar Mengal led a long march from Gwadar to Quetta under the name Lashkar Balochistan. Lashkar Balochistan is a banned organization, and Akhtar Mengal’s brother, Javed Mengal, was reportedly involved in carrying out terrorist attacks in Balochistan. The organization carried out numerous attacks, resulting in the loss of many innocent lives. However, Akhtar Mengal has never condemned Lashkar Balochistan or Javed Mengal, only stating that Lashkar Balochistan is run by his brother and that he is not responsible for his actions.
In Wadh, Khuzdar, Akhtar Mengal’s ancestral area, there is still no road. People often have to carry their sick on stretchers for miles to reach a hospital. In Aranji Tehsil, Wadh, Khuzdar, there is still no road. If a person falls ill or a woman faces delivery issues, they often die on the way due to lack of medical care.
Why do our rulers, who speak about the people, remain oblivious to solving the basic problems of the public? Sardar Akhtar Mengal is one of those politicians in our country who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. He himself has been the Chief Minister of Balochistan, and his father, Sardar Attaullah Mengal, also held the same position.
In the fiscal year 2023-24, the government allocated 16.59 billion rupees for public development schemes to the twenty elected members of the Balochistan National Party. This amount was meant for the deprived people of Balochistan, for education, healthcare, drinking water, roads, electricity, and other basic facilities.
However, it is unfortunate that the use of these billions of rupees has not been seen on the ground. The public is still deprived of clean drinking water, hospitals lack medicine, schools are in ruins, and roads are still non-existent in remote areas.
According to public circles and various reports, these funds were: • Given to preferred contractors. • Used for fake schemes to embezzle the money. • Spent on personal bungalows, vehicles, and increasing political influence. • Divided among internal factions of the party.
Ahmed Nawaz, a provincial member of BNP, received 1.73 billion rupees (172.6 crore) for 92 schemes. Akhtar Hussain Langove received 2.42 billion rupees for 115 schemes, Malik Naseer Shehwani received 1.5 billion rupees for 37 schemes.
Mir Akbar Mengal received 2.03 billion rupees for 78 schemes, Mir Hamal Kalimti received 2.97 billion rupees (297.15 crore) for 100 schemes,
Muhammad Rahim Mengal received 2.75 billion rupees for 90 schemes, Zainat Shehwani received 0.51 billion rupees (51 crore) for 35 schemes.
Sanaullah Baloch received 1.68 billion rupees (168 crore) for 57 schemes.
