Veteran politician Sardar Attaullah Mengal dies at 93

According to reports, Mengal was suffering from cardiovascular problems and had been hospitalised at a private hospital in Karachi for the last one week or so.

Attaullah Mengal was the first chief minister of Balochistan and his funeral will be held in his home town of Wadh, Khuzdar district, a source confirmed.

Mengal was born in 1929 in Lasbela. After spending his childhood there, he moved to Karachi. In 1954, he was declared the chieftain (sardar) of the Mengal tribe.

Mengal was well known for his outspoken nature and his struggle for the rights of the Balochs.

It was Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, a founding member of the National Awami Party (NAP), who introduced Mengal to the world of politics. In 1962, Mengal was elected to the West Pakistan provincial assembly.

Mengal was the father of Balochistan National Party chief Akhtar Mengal.