Daily Times

Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) interim president Zahoor Buledi on Wednesday sought Prime Minister Imran Khan’s intervention into the province’s political issues, a private TV channel reported.

“The prime minister, being an ally, should play a positive role amid the political crisis in Balochistan […] we seek his intervention so that matters do not deteriorate and [we have to choose to move] the no-confidence motion,” he said while addressing a press conference. He noted that a PTI lawmaker had also signed the no-trust motion submitted to the secretariat of the Balochistan Assembly. He added there was a disagreement within the PTI about Kamal continuing as the chief minister.

Buledi’s statement came after several MPAs – including lawmakers from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and allied parties – submitted a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal. The lawmaker said governor Balochistan was bound by the law to summon a session seven days after the submission of a no-trust motion to the assembly secretariat. “We had given Jam Kamal a chance to resign as he has lost the majority,” Buledi added.

The disgruntled members, in the motion submitted to the assembly secretariat, said during the three years of Khan’s term as the chief minister, there has been unemployment, unrest, and frustration in the province. The motion, signed by 14 members, claimed that the provincial cabinet members had informed the chief minister about the issues of Balochistan, but he did not pay heed to them. On September 14, as many as 16 MPAs from the Balochistan Assembly had moved a no-confidence motion against CM Khan, but it was later denied by the Governor House Secretariat on technical grounds. Last week, CM Kamal had said that he will not step down from his post on the demand of “12 people”. “I will continue my struggle and will not resign on the call of 12 people.”

Meanwhile, amid the political turmoil, Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak held a meeting with the interim president of BAP and other disgruntled lawmakers. Khattak told the disgruntled lawmakers to resolve the issues amicably, at which, they told the defence minister they would accept no option other than ‘minus Jam Kamal’. Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, Manzoor Kakar, Senator Kauda Babar, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Naseebullah Bazai, and others were also present in the meeting, the TV channel reported.