QUETTA: Political and tribal leader Nadeem-ur-Rehman Muhammad Shahi has launched a scathing attack on a rival political group, accusing it of peddling baseless allegations and an anti-national narrative to undermine opponents and distract the public from critical issues in Balochistan.
In a statement issued on Friday, Shahi came out in strong defense of Mir Shafiq-ur-Rehman Mengal, who recently joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He asserted that the criticism leveled against Mengal by a group he described as “backing terrorists” is a continuation of an old, hostile agenda.
“The decades-long personal grudges, baseless allegations, and character assassination in Balochistan are neither a democratic tradition nor in accordance with the requirements of public consciousness,” Shahi stated.
He alleged that the group targeting Mengal is acting at the behest of “Fitna Al Hind” (a term often used to refer to perceived foreign interference) and has a history of engaging in undemocratic media trials against its ideological opponents. Shahi characterized Mengal’s decision to join the PPP as a “political and democratic act,” highlighting that the PPP is a federal party founded on public rights, constitutional supremacy, and reconciliation.
Shahi argued that the solution to Balochistan’s entrenched problems lies not in “accusations, hateful statements, and spreading falsehoods,” but in collective dialogue and advancing the development process. He expressed confidence that the public is discerning enough to recognize who is genuinely working to solve their issues and who is merely crafting a narrative for political gain.
The political leader pointed to the upcoming by-election in NA-256 Khuzdar, scheduled for April, as a pivotal moment for the region. He predicted that the result would “determine the real political direction of Jhalawan” and serve as a means for the public to reject what he called “fake characters imposed on Jhalawan for years in the name of nationalism and racism.”
Shahi urged all political parties to maintain decency in their differences and to boycott groups whose politics are based on “anti-nationalism and advocacy of terrorists.” In a veiled reference to a specific rival party, his statement concluded that democracy is defined by tolerance, dialogue, and the supremacy of the constitution—values he claimed are absent in the so-called “fascist party.”
