KARACHI, March 27: Describing the Balochistan situation as grim, prominent Baloch leader and founder of the Balochistan National Party Sardar Attaullah Khan Mengal has condemned the rulers for the inhuman and degrading treatment being meted out to the Baloch people.

Sardar Mengal accused the rulers of carrying out new experiments of torture and barbarism in the troubled province, saying that innocent people were kidnapped, and subjected to inhuman treatment as was done by the KGB and Gestapo.

The BNP leader ruled out the possibility of any negotiations with the government in the near future keeping in view the current situation of the province.

He was of the view that “the rulers have never been serious about finding a lasting solution to the Balochistan issue because of their sinister designs”.

“Had they been serious about dialogue, the situation would have been different today and we would have not reached this stage,” Sardar Mengal said while talking to Dawn on Saturday.

Talk of dialogue was nothing but nonsense, the Baloch leader said, and added that it was directed towards a particular lobby and was just carried out to sell the idea that they were keenly desirous of solving the issue.

Sardar Mengal argued that ground realities were quite different. He pointed out that “the question is, who will hold talks with whom, notwithstanding the fact that a credibility gap also exists.”

The BNP leader said, “We are heading towards a “very serious situation” and presently no solution is in sight.” He blamed the rulers for it because of their lust for power and wealth.

He maintained that there was a conflict of interests between the rulers representing the Punjab and the Baloch people, saying that the former wanted to exploit the resources of Balochistan, while the latter being the rightful owners were totally against it.

The Baloch leader also dispelled the impression that there were any differences between him and Nawab Akbar Bugti on the Balochistan issue, and said that there was complete unity of thought on the issue between them.

He said while the people of the Marri-Mengal areas were at war with the government for their rights, our party had launched a political campaign in support of the national demands of the Baloch people.

Sardar Mengal opined that war and politics were always interlinked in the struggle for national rights, saying that the negative impression was created by the government to drive a wedge between him and Nawab Bugti.

He went on to say that it was a calculated move to trap and provoke the Nawab, but he said the government had failed to achieve its objective because the game was exposed.

He recalled that never in history had all tribes fought national wars at the same time. Initially, it was started by one or two tribes, but was later joined by others.

The Baloch leader said: “Whereas Marri and Bugtis are valiantly fighting the security forces in their areas, the people of Jhalawan and Mekran and other areas are leading political campaigns.”

Sardar Mengal lamented that there was no rule of law in the country and corruption was rampant and all institutions were on the verge of collapse because of the misdeeds of the rulers.

The BNP leader said the Balochistan issue was not an issue of three Sardars, but was rather that of the national rights of the Baloch people, who will continue to struggle for their rights until these were accepted.

He urged the country’s political parties and human rights organizations to force the government to stop its atrocities in the troubled province, which had crossed all limits.

Sardar Mengal feared that a Bengal-like situation could develop in the province in case the military operation was continued and the national rights of the Baloch people were not recognized.

He reminded that initially there had been a democratic movement in the former East Pakistan but due to army action and atrocities, the Bengalis were ultimately forced to demand a separate homeland for themselves.