A day after warning Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s GDP against entering the red zone in the provincial capital as part of its ongoing protest, the provincial government announced on Sunday that it would arrest the GDP chief if he tried to enter Quetta.

Mengal, who led GNP’s long march, had promised to reach Quetta on April 6 (Sunday) to protest against the alleged enforced disappearance of political workers in Balochistan and arrest of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch.

According to the provincial government, two rounds were held with conversations with GDP leadership, where they were asked to hold their protest at Quetta’s Shahwani Stadium. However, the party had denied and insisted on marshing to the city’s red zone.

By tackling a press conference prior to the planned protest on Saturday, Balochistan -Government spokesman Shahid Rind said a strict trial will be taken against any violation of the law.

“The government shows restraint, but any attempt to violate section 144 or provoke unrest will be met with a fixed response,” Rind said.

Meanwhile, the administration placed containers on entry routes and stationed a large number of security forces staff to effectively prevent GDP managers and workers from entering the city.

On Sunday, Rind went to social media platform X and warned that GDP chief Akhtar Mengal would be arrested if he tried to enter Quetta.

“The administration informed Mengal at 06:00 of the orders issued during the maintenance of public order (MPO), but he refused to surrender. If he enters Quetta, they will be arrested,” Rind wrote, adding that the law enforcement staff had been deployed to enforce order.

The government also criticized the party’s call to block national highways, described it as an attempt to interfere with daily life and increase public disorder. Shahid Rind said that clear instructions had been issued to all district administrations that no highway would be allowed to be closed.

Meanwhile, residents all over Balochistan expressed concern about possible travel disorders. In a separate post, GDP shared a video that claimed that law enforcement authorities had fired shells on a collection of party workers in Quetta’s Sona Khan Chowk.

White smoke was seen increasing in the distance in the recordings that were shared online.

Previously, Mengal had also laid out on X and stated that he and his supporters were surrounded by security forces at Lak Pass and that a larger operation seemed imminent.

In response, GDP announced protests across the province and claimed that the current government had launched a crash on its leaders and workers.