Staff Reporter
Karachi
Seasoned politician and veteran Baloch nationalist leader Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo has died at the age of 62, lawmakers and politicians confirmed.
Bizenjo passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karachi, National Party Central Secretary General Jan Muhammad Buledi said.
He said Bizenjo was admitted to the hospital after his health deteriorated. The senator was diagnosed with lung cancer last year.
He remained chief of the National Party and was currently serving as an ideologue of the party.
Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) president Sardar Akhtar Mengal shared his condolences at the senator’s passing. In 2013, the National Party came to power in Balochistan with the help of the PML-N, thrusting its leadership into national focus. Hasil Bizenjo became its president in 2014.
Bizenjo was a revered figure in Pakistani politics for his unwavering demo cratic stance. But since 2013, his party’s power had dwindled as new challengers popped up.
A strong and consistent advocate of rights of the Baloch, Bizenjo was a vocal opponent of armed resistance and had repeatedly said that use of force by Baloch militants was not acceptable. He said militancy had not served the interest of Balochistan and its people.
While being a clear opponent of militancy, Bijenzo had accused successive governments of having made “huge blunders” in Balochistan by adopting hardline positions that subsequently led to various crises. He also believed that the Centre should allow Balochistan a fair share from the province’s own resources.
