KARACHI  - Balochistan National Party chief and former Balochistan chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal, upon his return to the country from Dubai after over a four-year long self-imposed exile, said on Monday a decision about participation of his party in the upcoming general elections and possible electoral alliances would be made in a meeting on Tuesday (today).
Interacting with a group of reporters at the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, the Baloch nationalist deplored that unfortunately undemocratic forces had always obstructed his democratic struggle, despite the fact that his party, the Balochistan National Party, believed in democracy.  Mengal, to a query about the call made by Balochistan's disgruntled groups for boycotting the polls, said on May 11 no decision should be imposed on anyone and no party or any individual be forced to boycott the elections.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the situation in Balochistan, the BNP chief said there was still bloodshed in the province. He said the situation in Balochistan could not be termed good.  About his brief visit to the country in last October, Mengal said he had to attend a hearing of a case at the Supreme Court about forced disappearances in Balochistan then. He said during his brief visit to the federal capital, he had also presented a six-point agenda about improvement of the situation in Balochistan.
“These six points were extensively discussed and shared with political leadership of the country, both the opposition and treasury,” the nationalist leader said while adding, "Although it was agreed upon verbally, one could see no improvements in the situation in the province despite the passage of quite some time."
Mengal told the media his party would review the current condition of the province in their meeting scheduled for Tuesday (today). "All the decision regarding the election will be taken in this meeting," he added.
About the killing of members of the Hazara community in Quetta, the nationalist leader said the killers of Hazaras could be traced back to the killers of the Baloch people.  In reply to another question about the caretaker prime minister, he said Mir Hazar Khan Khoso was a decent person. But, he added, such a thing did not matter in Pakistan these days.
Asked to comment about former military dictator and president Pervez Musharraf's homecoming, Mengal said he did not know who Pervez Musharraf was. He also remarked that this name was familiar to him.
Mengal also said that if the Kashmiris were to be given the right to self determination, the same should also be given to the people of Balochistan.
Earlier, upon his arrival, Mengal was accorded a warm welcome by his party workers and leaders.
Meanwhile, caretaker Chief Minister Nawab Ghaus Bakhsh Khan Barozai telephoned Sardar Mengal and told him that he wanted all the political parties to contest the next general elections, so that the people could elect their representatives. The chief minister told the BNP chief that preservation of peace and restoration of trust of political circles was one of his top priorities. Reports said it is likely that Akhtar Mengal would meet the chief minister to discuss political affairs.