Akhtar Mengal

Infobox_President
name=Sardar Akhtar Mengal
سردار اختر مینگل
nationality=Baloch
order=Chief Minister of Balochistan

Akhtar Mengal with his father,Ataullah Mengal]
term_start=February 22, 1997
term_end=June 15, 1998
predecessor=Zulfikar Ali Magsi
successor=Jan Mohammad Jamali
birth_date=
birth_place= Balochistan
dead=alive
religion= Sunni Muslim
spouse=
party=Balochistan National Party

Sardar Akhtar Mengal ( _ur. سردار اختر مینگل) is a former Chief Minister of the province of Balochistan in Pakistan. He is the president of the largest political party in the province, (the Balochistan National Party (BNP), and the son of prominent politician, Sardar Ataullah Mengal.

Mengal was arrested in September 2006, along with around 700 other political workers, in a government crackdown in Balochistan. He was held on terrorist charges and was reportedly produced in court in an "iron cage".

Released
He was released on May 9, 2008 and all charges against him were dropped by the Government of Sindh.The Balochistan government on Monday withdrew all cases, including those of sedition, against detained former Balochistan chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal, but Mengal’s Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) rejected the move, terming it a “cosmetic measure taken by a powerless provincial government”. The actual centres of power in the country were the military and the intelligence agencies, he said, adding that the establishment did not support co-operation between political forces and did not want Mengal and hundreds of BNP leaders released.

Sweets distributed on Mengal release
Release of Sardar Akhtar Mengal sent a wave of happiness and people started distributing sweets in Balochistan. Balochistan National Party was holding a demonstration against delay in release of its president Sardar Akhtar Mengal when report of Akhtar Mengal’s release reached there. It sent a wave of happiness among the leaders and workers.

To express their pleasure, they also distributed sweet on the occasion. Addressing party workers Acting President of BNP Dr Jahan Zeb Jamaldini and Secretary General Habib Jalib demanded release of all detained political leaders and workers, end to military operation in Balochistan and recovery of missing persons. They vowed that they will continue their struggle for the province control over coast and resources of the province.

ee also

* Akhtar Mengal
Dr Tara Chand (politician)

ources and references

* [http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20070114.htm "The man in Iron Cage"]
* [http://www.dawn.com/2007/01/28/op.htm "Akhter Mengal and his BNP"]
* [http://jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2007-weekly/nos-09-09-2007/dia.htm#4 "Case against Akhter Mengal"]

References