Akhtar Mengal


Sardar Akhtar Mengal is a politician from Balochistan who is the chairman of Balochistan National Party. He previously served as the Chief Minister of Balochistan between 1997 and 1998 and later he served as a member of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly. Mengal currently serves as a member of National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018.

Early life

Mengal was born on 6 October 1962 in Wadh balochistan to the former Chief Minister of Balochistan Ataullah Mengal.
Mengal has a son, Gurgain Mengal and a daughter, Banari Mengal.

Political career

Mengal came to Pakistan after ending his self exile in Dubai on 25 March 2013 after four years to participate in 2013 election. The party only has two seats in the 51 member provincial assembly. One is Mengal's and the other is Hamal Kalmati, who represents Gwadar. Two candidates of the BNP, Esa Noori and Raouf Mengal, won national assembly seats from the Makran coastal region and Khuzdar, respectively. He took an oath as a member of National Assembly of Pakistan on 13 August 2018.

Arrest and release

Akhtar Mengal was arrested in September 2006, along with around 700 other political workers, in a government crackdown in Balochistan. He was held because he was planning a long march against President Pervez Musharraf's military rule. Mengal was released on May 9, 2008 and all charges against him were dropped by the Government of Sindh. The Balochistan government withdrew all cases, including those of sedition, against Mengal.
On 25 March 2013, Mengal returned to Pakistan from Dubai to take part in general elections on 11 May 2013.