Abdul Quddus Bizenjo sworn as new CM Balochistan

QUETTA: Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, the opposition-treasury consensus candidate, on Saturday took oath as the new chief minister of Balochistan. 

In a 65-member Balochistan assembly, 41 members cast their votes in favour of Bizenjo. Governor Balochistan Jan Muhammad Achakzai administered the oath to to the newly-elected chief minister.

A PML-Q MPA from Awaran, Bizenjo, had backing of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) dissident lawmakers and members from the opposition benches for the slot of the chief minister.

National Party (NP), an ally of ruling of PML-N, had earlier announced not to take part in the election process. However, three of its MPAs cast their votes in favour of Bizenjo out of eleven members.

On the other hand, Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), another ally of PML-N in the province, has 14 members in the house.

PkMAP’s candidate Syed Liaquat Agha received 13 votes. A member of the party, Manzoor Kakar, however voted in favor of Abdul Quddus Bizenjo instead of the party candidate.

Party strength

The PML-Q has five members in the assemly, while Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) eight, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) two, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, Awami National Party and BNP-Awami one each.

The PML-N has 21 members in the provincial assembly, out of which 19 members said to be supported Bizenjo.

On January 09, former chief minister Sanaullah Zehri stepped down from his post following mounting pressure in the wake of no-trust motion against him in the provincial assembly.

The political crisis began with Bizenjo submitting a no-confidence motion against the chief minister on January 2. A number of ministers had resigned following the motion submitted against Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri.