In Bhootani we trust, not

Balochistan Assembly speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani was on Wednesday ousted through a secret ballot following the initiation of a no-trust motion against him. Forty-seven members of a total 64 cast their votes against Bhootani in the provincial assembly session on Wednesday. The assembly session started with Deputy Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha in the chair with 49 assembly members present in the House, but only 47 took part in the balloting on the no-confidence motion against Bhootani. Three of them, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) provincial president and Parliamentary Leader Mir Sadiq Umrani, Minister Jan Ali Changezi and opposition member Nawabzada Tariq Ali Magsi of the PML-Q staged a walkout in protest against the no-trust motion. A total 47 members from various political groups of ruling coalition cast their vote in favour of no-trust motion, while one member supported Bhootani, while one vote was declared invalid. These parties include the PPP, PML-Q, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F, Balochistan National Party-Awami and independent members. Announcing the results of the balloting, Deputy Speaker Matiullah Agha gave ruling that the motion to oust Bhootani from his office was passed with majority votes and he ceased to function as the speaker of Balochistan Assembly. He said Bhootani was terminated from the office of the speaker as the motion to oust him was passed with majority. Agha added that all unparliamentarily words were expunged from the proceedings of the assembly. The House was prorogued after completion of other proceedings. Talking to reporters, ousted speaker Bhootani announced that he would soon move the court of law to challenging the move Chief Minister Aslam Raisani and his supporters made to oust him. He thanked the members who did not come to the assembly session and abstained from the illegal and unconstitutional measures.
Bhootani said the three members, including PPP’s Mir Sadiq Umrani, and Jan Ali Changezi and opposition leader Nawabzada Tariq Magsi showed courage to oppose the no-trust motion.
He said when he did not accept the assembly session summoned on the requisition of a provincial government that had lost its constitutional validity in light of Supreme Court short order, there was no moral justification for him to preside over the session.
Bhootani said under a conspiracy, the government members cast a single vote in his favour to show that he (Aslam Bhootani) took part in balloting.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani said a decision about the new speaker and deputy speaker had been made and the assembly session would be called in this regard soon.
Raisani said a majority in the Balochistan Assembly had favoured the motion.
Prior to the assembly session, Raisani had said that if votes against Bhootani were not enough, “more votes will be brought from Kandahar”.
The motion was moved on December 19 against the speaker after he refused to chair any session of the House until the status of the provincial government was not cleared by the Supreme Court.
On Monday, he threatened to move the court against voting on the no-trust motion against him. He had said the constitution was violated while presenting the no-confidence resolution.