Filing nomination papers for new CM Balochistan begins

QUETTA: The process for filing nomination papers by candidates for the new chief minister of Balochistan has been underway on Friday.

The nomination papers are to be submitted before 3:00 pm today as the provincial assembly session has been summoned tomorrow (Saturday) to elect a new leader of the house.

After a no-trust motion against him, Zehri had resigned from his position and submitted resignation to Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai on Tuesday afternoon, who forthwith accepted it.

Following the resignation of the chief minister, the Balochistan government issued a notification which read: “Consequent upon the resignation of the Chief Minister Balochistan, the provincial ministers and advisers to the chief minister shall also cease to hold their office with immediate effect.”

With the opposition out of the process, the disgruntled group within the PML-N is set to nominate a new leader of the house.

Nomination of new leader of house

Former provincial home minister Sarfaraz Bugti associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muhammad Saleh Bhootani are being considered top contenders for the coveted slot of the leader of the house in the provincial assembly.

The names of Jan Muhammad Jamali, Changez Marri  and former chief minister Abdul Malik Baloch are also under discussion for the post.

Sarfaraz Bugti, the former provincial home minister, was one of the dissidents who revolted against Zehri and backed the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition.

Speaking to the media a day earlier, Bugti said the next chief minister of Balochistan will be selected after consultation with political allies, and might not necessarily belong to his party.

Opposition parties not part of new set-up 

The major opposition parties of Balochistan have announced to distance themselves from the new provincial government set-up after Nawab Sanaullah Zehri’s resignation as chief minister of the province.

Addressing a crowded press conference alongside BNP-M’s Akhtar Jan Mengal and BNP-A’s Ehsan Shah on Wednesday, leader of the opposition in Balochistan Assembly Maulana Wasey said the opposition parties would not be part of the new government set-up.

However, he said the opposition would support any candidate for the Chief Minister portfolio named by the disgruntled PML-N legislators.

“We will vote in support of the PML-N dissidents’ proposed candidate,” Wasey said.

On the occasion, PML-Q MPA and former deputy speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and PML-N dissidents Jan Mohammad Jamali and Sardar Saleh Bhootani were also present.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal said his party has been making efforts to uphold democratic norms and would continue to do so in the future.

Akhtar-led BNP-M has two MPAs in the assembly who previously supported the no-confidence motion against Zehri.