Akhtar Mengal Returns Rs7.89m in Salaries to Parliament
ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has returned the salaries and allowances he received as a member of the National Assembly, submitting a cheque worth Rs7,892,725 to the National Assembly Secretariat on Thursday.
The development immediately drew political attention because it involved a senior Balochistan leader returning public funds after his resignation from the lower house. Mengal personally visited the secretariat and handed over the payment for transfer to the national treasury.
According to details reported by 24NewsHD, the amount covered the benefits linked to his parliamentary tenure for the period between September 3, 2024 and February 11, 2026. The payment was accompanied by a written communication explaining why the funds were being returned.
In the letter, Mengal stated that he had not withdrawn any salary or allowance from his parliamentary bank account after tendering his resignation. He asked the National Assembly Secretariat to move the amount lying in the account to the state treasury, framing the step as part of his commitment to public accountability.
The BNP chief’s move comes against the backdrop of his resignation from the National Assembly on September 3, 2024. At the time, Mengal had quit his NA-256 Khuzdar seat in protest over what he described as parliament’s inadequate response to the problems facing Balochistan.
His resignation was later formally accepted by the Speaker of the National Assembly on February 11, 2026. That timeline became central to the latest development because the returned amount corresponds to the period between his resignation and the formal acceptance of that resignation.
Mengal remains one of Balochistan’s most prominent political figures, and his decisions often resonate beyond routine parliamentary procedure. The return of salaries and allowances is likely to fuel debate over political ethics, the use of public funds and the responsibilities of lawmakers after resignation.
The episode also arrives at a sensitive moment for Balochistan politics, with the province facing renewed debate over governance, representation, security and public confidence in federal institutions. Mengal’s act may be read by supporters as a symbolic protest as much as a financial transaction.
For Pakistan’s political system, the move highlights wider questions about transparency in elected offices and the handling of benefits when resignations are delayed or processed after a long interval. It could also intensify public pressure on lawmakers to clarify their own use of parliamentary privileges.
The next step will depend on how the National Assembly Secretariat processes the cheque and whether the issue triggers further parliamentary or public discussion. Mengal is expected to continue using his political platform to raise Balochistan-related concerns while presenting the return of funds as a statement on accountability.