Parliamentary panel to decide interim Balochistan CM

QUETTA: The decision to choose Balochistan caretaker chief minister was left to a parliamentary committee after the government and opposition failed to reach a consensus, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

A decision had to be made within three days of the provincial assembly’s dissolution under the law and Tuesday was the last day to finalise a name.

Balochistan’s Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and the Leader of the Opposition, Malik Sikandar, yesterday proposed Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki’s name as the interim chief minister, sources said.

Earlier in the day, the two discussed the names of proposed candidates to reach a consensus for the slot of interim chief minister.

However, sources said that while the name of Ali Mardan Domki had been discussed between the two leaders, CM Bizenjo did not agree to sign a summary suggesting Mr Domki as his successor.

On Tuesday, Mr Domki and former Balochistan CM Jam Kamal Alyani also called on caretaker PM Kakar in Islamabad.

What does Constitution say?

According to the Constitution, if the chief minister and the opposition leader fail to reach a consensus on a suitable name for interim chief minister within the prescribed period, the matter would be sent to the parliamentary committee.

The chief minister and the opposition leader would send the names of three candidates each to the parliamentary committee.

If the committee could also not reach a consensus, the matter would then go to the Election Commission of Pakistan, which would then take a final decision on the matter.