Veteran politician from Balochistan, Sardar Attaullah Mengal, has died at the age of 93. He was ill and had been hospitalised at a private hospital in Karachi for the last one week, his family has confirmed.
His funeral will be held in his home town of Wadh, in district Khuzdar.
Attaullah Mengal was born in 1929 in Lasbela and was the first chief minister of Balochistan. After spending his childhood there, he moved to Karachi. In 1954, he was declared the chief (sardar) of the Mengal tribe.
It was Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, a founding member of the National Awami Party (NAP), who introduced Mengal to the world of politics. In 1962, Mengal was elected to the West Pakistan provincial assembly.
Attaullah Mengal was known for his outspoken nature and his fight for the rights of the Baloch people. According to an article by Herald, in 1973, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s PPP defeated NAP’s government in Balochistan and called a meeting of the politicians to inform them that he would form a new government after coming back from a trip abroad. Mengal demanded that there was no time for delay and the provincial government must be formed immediately.
Attaullah Mengal’s words infuriated Bhutto, who then questioned him what he would do if his demand were not met right away. In response, Mengal said: “I would struggle against the injustices inflicted upon the Baloch and stand against you.”
Per the piece, Attaullah Mengal, along with three other Baloch leaders and members of the NAP, was imprisoned soon afterwards under what is known as the “Hyderabad Conspiracy case.”