- Bugti, Bhootani likely contenders for Balochistan’s CMship
QUETTA: Leader of the Opposition in the Balochistan Assembly Maulana Wasey has said that opposition political parties will not be a part of the new government set-up after Nawab Sanaullah Zehri’s resignation as chief minister of the province.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Maulana Wasey said, “We will not be part of [the] future government.”
He, however, emphasised that they would vote in support of the PML-N dissidents’ proposed candidate.
“The opposition will support any new candidate for the chief minister Balochistan named by the disgruntled PML-N legislators”, Wasey said.
Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, PML-Q MPA and former deputy speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and PML-N dissidents Jan Mohammad Jamali and Sardar Saleh Bhootani were also present on the occasion.
“We played our democratic role and will continue to do so in the future,” Mengal said. BNP, which has two legislators in the Balochistan Assembly, had previously supported the no-confidence motion against Zehri.
With the opposition out of the process, the disgruntled group within the PML-N is set to nominate a new leader of the house.
Among others, 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 was one of the dissidents who revolted against Zehri and backed the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition.
On January 2, the former chief minister had relieved Bugti from his office. Soon after his sacking, the former home minister, however, claimed that he had submitted the resignation and the reports of his dismissal were untrue.
Saleh Bhootani, one of the contenders for the chief minister’s post, is the elder brother of the current Speaker of Balochistan Assembly Mohammad Aslam Bhootani.
Whereas, Changez Marri is the chieftain of the influential Marri tribe and the son of Balochistan’s veteran leader Khair Bakhsh Khan Marri. He has been serving as Minister for Irrigation since 2013.
Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali is former Speaker of Balochistan Assembly and former deputy chairman Senate.
The political crisis that cost Sanaullah Zehri his office began on January 2 when MPA Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo moved a no-trust motion against him.
Subsequently, a number of ministers resigned following the motion submitted against Zehri.
On Tuesday, Zehri had resigned as Balochistan chief minister after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi failed to contain a mushrooming political crisis in the province.
Zehri’s resignation was promptly accepted by Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai.