Ataullah Mengal (; 24 March 1929 – 2 September 2021) was a Pakistani politician and feudal figure. He was the head of the
Mengal
Mengal ( Balochi: مینگل ) are a Brahui speaking Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan.
Clans
There are two main clans of Mengal tribe, namely Shahizai Mengal and Zagar Mengal.
Shahizai Mengal inhabits in central and southern parts of Bal ...
tribe until he nominated one of his grandsons, Sardar Asad Ullah Mengal, as his tribal successor. He was also the 1st
Chief Minister of Balochistan
The Chief Minister of Balochistan ( ur, وزیر اعلیٰ بلوچستان) is the head of government of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. The chief minister leads the legislative branch of the provincial government, and is elected by the ...
during
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourt ...
's premiership from 1 May 1972 to 13 February 1973. He died on 2 September 2021 in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
.
Early life
Ataullah Mengal was born on 24 March 1929 in
Wadh Tehsil and spent most of his childhood in
Lasbela before moving to
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
. He was declared the chief (sardar) of the Mengal tribe in 1954.
[Ghalib Nihad]
BNP founder and first Balochistan CM Sardar Ataullah Mengal passes away in Karachi
Dawn News. 2 September 2021.
Career in politics
Mengal was introduced to politics by
Mir Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo
Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo ( Urdu/ Baloch: میرغوث بخش بزنجو ) was a Pakistani politician from Balochistan. He served as the 3rd Governor of Balochistan.
Early life
He was born in Nall Khuzdar Balochistan in either December 1917 or 19 ...
. Bizenjo ran the election campaign of Mengal and Mengal was later elected to the
West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
provincial assembly in 1962.
As a member of the legislature, Mengal was critical of the
Ayub Khan regime and their
One Unit Scheme
The One Unit Scheme ( ur, ; bn, এক ইউনিট ব্যবস্থা) was a geopolitical programme launched by the Government of Pakistan led by Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra on 22 November 1954 and passed on 30 September 1955 ...
; one of his speeches against them led to his arrest on charges of sedition.
In May 1972, he was elected to the
Provincial Assembly of the Balochistan. During this time, Mengal became the first chief minister of Balochistan.
During the brief tenure in office, tax reforms were instituted and a new police force was formed in Balochistan. Freedom of speech and of the press were encouraged and, in the words of Bizenjo, the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
at the time, Balochistan became "an island of freedom in a sea of political inequalities".
Mengal was dismissed by the then Prime Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourt ...
in February 1973;
one day after Bhutto took office, Mengal, Bizenjo and other local leaders were arrested by the Bhutto government.
Mengal was not released from prison until after General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law in ...
's
1977 military coup.
He chose to go into a self-exile in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
during Zia-ul-Haq's rule.
On 31 March 1985, he participated in the founding of
Sindhi–Baloch–Pashtun Front
The Sindhi–Baloch–Pashtun Front (SBPF) was formed in London on 31 March 1985 by Afzal Bangash, Ataullah Mengal, Mumtaz Bhutto and others to counter what they perceived as a Punjabi establishment's hegemony of Pakistan
Pakistan ( ...
there.
In the late 1990s, Ataullah Mengal returned to Pakistan and formed the
Balochistan National Party (BNP). Mengal-led BNP emerged as one of the largest parliamentary group during the general elections in Pakistan.
[Baloch Leader Sardar Attaullah Mengal Passes Away](_blank)
Quetta Voice. 2 September 2021. Mengal's son,
Akhtar Mengal
Akhtar Mengal (born 6 October 1962) is a politician from Balochistan who is the chairman of Balochistan National Party (Mengal). He previously served as the Chief Minister of Balochistan between 1997 and 1998 and later he served as a member of t ...
(b. 1962), then became the Chief Minister of Balochistan in a coalition government with support from the
Jamhoori Wattan Party
The Jamhoori Wattan Party ( ur, جمہوری وطن پارٹی, lit=Republican National Party) is a political party in Balochistan, Pakistan.
The party has split into two factions, with the non-dominant one led by Baramdagh Bugti splitting off to ...
(JWP).
Ataullah was elected in 1998 to become party chief of BNP, but the disputed results prompted the departure of several key party members.
In the 1990s, Mengal was also the head of
Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement
The Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONM) was an alliance of several nationalist parties in Pakistan: Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party, Awami Tehreek, Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Seraiki movement, Panjistani ...
(Ponm).
In 2009, Sardar Ataullah Khan Mengal was one of many candidates considered for the position of
President of Pakistan after the resignation of
Pervez Musharraf
General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...
. He was also considered for the post of interim prime minister in 2012 and president of Pakistan in 2013, but he declined the offers.
Mengal's active participation in politics of Pakistan declined because of his advance age and health issues.
Death and burial
Mengal died in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
on 2 September 2021 due to
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
.
[Former CM Balochistan Sardar Attaullah Mengal passes away in Karachi](_blank)
Business Recorder. 2 September 2021. He had had
cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...
.
[Senior Baloch leader Sardar Ataullah Mengal passes away](_blank)
Ary News. 2 September 2021. A
Balochistan National Party (BNP) spokesman confirmed his death and announced that Mengal will be buried in his ancestral graveyard in Wadh,
Khuzdar District
Khuzdar ( Balochi and Brahui: ; Urdu: ) is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Its capital is the city of Khuzdar.
Until its establishment as a district in 1974 it was part of Kalat District. In November 1992 part of the terri ...
. Many Pakistani politicians including the President of Pakistan,
Arif Alvi
Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi (; born 29 July 1949) is a Pakistani dentist and politician currently serving as the 13th President of Pakistan, in office since 9 September 2018. He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2 ...
, and the Chief Minister of Balochistan,
Jam Kamal Khan
Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani (; born 1 January 1970) is a Pakistani politician who served as the 16th Chief Minister of Balochistan, between August 2018 and October 2021. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan since August 2 ...
, expressed their condolences over the death of the veteran Pakistani politician.
The Chief Minister of Sindh,
Murad Ali Shah
Syed Murad Ali Shah ( ur, , ; born 8 November 1962) is a Pakistani politician and structural engineer who is the 29th and current Chief Minister of Sindh province of Pakistan and has been a member of the Sindh Assembly.
Early life and edu ...
, and the Speaker of Balochistan assembly, Mir
Abdul Quddus Bizenjo
Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo ( ur, ; born 1 January 1974) is a Pakistani politician who has been serving as the Chief Minister of Balochistan province of Pakistan since 29 October 2021. He has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochist ...
, also expressed their condolences over the death of Mengal.
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...
chairman,
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ( ur, بلاول بھٹو زرداری; born 21 September 1988) is a Pakistani politician who is serving as the 37th Minister of Foreign Affairs, in office since 27 April 2022. He became the chairman of Pakistan Peop ...
, and
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (Fazl) also Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) or simply as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Urdu: ; ; JUI-F) is a Deobandi Sunni political party in Pakistan. Established as the ''Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam'' in 1945, it is the result o ...
chief,
Fazlur Rehman, also expressed their profound grief and sorrow at the death of the veteran politician.
Veteran Baloch leader Attaullah Mengal is no more
Daily Times. 2 September 2021.
On 3 September, his body was buried in his native town Wadh in Khuzdar District of Balochistan.[Azeem Samar]
Pakistan: First elected Chief Minister of Balochistan Attaullah Mengal dies in Karachi
Gulf News. 2 September 2021.
See also
*Mengal
Mengal ( Balochi: مینگل ) are a Brahui speaking Baloch tribe in Balochistan, Pakistan.
Clans
There are two main clans of Mengal tribe, namely Shahizai Mengal and Zagar Mengal.
Shahizai Mengal inhabits in central and southern parts of Bal ...
*Khan Wali Khan
Khan Abdul Wali Khan ( ps, خان عبدالولي خان; 11 January 1917 – 26 January 2006) was a Pakistani secular democratic socialist and Pashtun leader, and served as president of Awami National Party. Son of the prominent Pashtun nat ...
*Mir Gul Khan Naseer
Gul Khan Naseer ( ur, ), also known as Malek o-Sho'arā Balochistan ( ur, ; 14 May 1914 – 6 December 1983) was a politician, poet, historian, and journalist from Balochistan, Pakistan. Born on 14 May 1914 in Noshki, Gul Khan Naseer was at the ...
*Mir Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo
Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo ( Urdu/ Baloch: میرغوث بخش بزنجو ) was a Pakistani politician from Balochistan. He served as the 3rd Governor of Balochistan.
Early life
He was born in Nall Khuzdar Balochistan in either December 1917 or 19 ...
*National Awami Party
The National Awami Party (NAP), translated from Urdu to English as National People's Party, was the major left-wing political party in East and West Pakistan. It was founded in 1957 in Dhaka, erstwhile East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), by A ...
* Balochistan National Party
*List of political parties in Pakistan
Pakistan is a multi-party democracy. The country has many political parties and many times in past the country is ruled by coalition government.
The Parliament of Pakistan is bicameral, consisting of the National Assembly of Pakistan and the ...
References
External links
* Rahman, Shamimur
"Nothing but provincial autonomy"
''DAWN Magazine'', 12 February 2006. Last accessed on 21-02-06
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mengal, Ataullah
1929 births
2021 deaths
Baloch people
Chief Ministers of Balochistan, Pakistan
Tumandars
Ataullah
Ataullah ( ar, عطا ٱلله) or the alternative Atallah is an Arabic given name meaning "gift of God", composed of '' Ata'' (''gift'') + '' Allah'' (''God''). It is also a surname to Middle Eastern Christians, derived from the Aramaic form ''At ...
Pakistani political party founders
People from Khuzdar District