ISLAMABAD: Prominent Baloch tribal and political leader Shafiqur Rehman Mengal has announced his decision to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) following a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari.
According to a press release issued by the PPP, Mengal met with President Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (President House) in Islamabad on Wednesday. During the meeting, the veteran leader from Balochistan formally announced that he was joining the party.
Following his announcement, President Zardari welcomed Mengal into the party fold. In his remarks, the President described Mengal’s joining as a matter of pride for the PPP.
Shafiqur Rehman Mengal is a well-known political and tribal figure in Balochistan. His entry into the party is seen as a significant political development as the PPP looks to strengthen its footprint in the province.
Last month Mir Shafiq Mengal, head of the Jhalawan Awami Panel, has launched a scathing critique against the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), India’s RAW, and political rival Akhtar Mengal, blaming them for the province’s instability.
In an interview with journalist Hassan Ayub Khan, the tribal leader labeled the BLA a “group of Fitna-ul-Hidostan” (mischief of Hindustan/India), alleging its members “used to bathe the dogs of the British.” He directly accused the group of killing his brother and claimed it and other insurgent outfits are funded and directed by RAW.
While expressing support for the current Islamabad government’s direction, Mengal criticized its advisors for being out of touch with ground realities. He reserved his fiercest condemnation for Akhtar Mengal, former Chief Minister and head of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M), whom he called a “hypocrite” and the “beneficiary of this chaos.”
