The Excise and Taxation Department has announced that over 200 non-custom paid vehicles allegedly part of Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s convoy will be seized upon entering Quetta, as per the department’s enforcement protocols.
Sources within the Quetta Excise and Taxation Department confirmed the presence of over 200 smuggled vehicles in Mengal’s convoy, emphasizing that the entry of such vehicles into the city is strictly prohibited. Officials stated that immediate action will be taken, and the vehicles will be confiscated as soon as they cross into Quetta’s jurisdiction.
Earlier, the spokesperson for the Balochistan government warned that Akhtar Mengal would be arrested if he proceeded with his march towards Quetta. Authorities had issued an MPO (Maintenance of Public Order) notice to Mengal at 6 AM, but he reportedly refused to comply and declined to surrender. The government spokesperson criticized the call to block national highways, stating that it would only cause hardship for the general public. Clear instructions have been issued to all district administrations to ensure that national highways remain open.
The provincial government has advised the Balochistan National Party (BNP) to restrict its protest to the Shahwani Stadium in Quetta. It further warned that any attempt to enter the Red Zone would be met with strict legal action.
Meanwhile, BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal accused the provincial government and the state of conspiring to eliminate him. He declared that the protest sit-in at Lakpass would continue and that demonstrations would be launched across all districts of Balochistan. Mengal urged party workers to stage sit-ins at any point where they are stopped en route to the protests.
BNP leader and former MPA Sana Baloch also voiced concerns, stating that the protesters had been surrounded from all sides, trenches had been dug on key routes, and large vehicles placed to block access. He condemned the government for denying the people and politicians of Balochistan their democratic right to peaceful protest.
