Six PML-N lawmakers back opposition’s CM candidate: report

QUETTA: Six Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers, who remained loyal to his party’s chief minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri throughout the political crisis in Balochistan, have decided to vote for Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, the opposition-treasury consensus candidate, in the election of the new leader of the house, according to a report by a private media outlet.

On Friday, Mr Bizenjo, a PML-Q MPA from Awaran, submitted five nomination papers each proposed and seconded by members of the allied parties.

While the National Party (NP) has decided to stay neutral in the election, two members of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) have also filed their nomination papers in what the party described as the move to strengthen democracy.

Six PML-N lawmakers met Mr Bizenjo and former home minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, who led the dissidents’ group against Zehri, on Friday and made it clear that they would not oppose Mr Bizenjo and cast their vote in his favour.

The six PML-N lawmakers are Sardar Dur Muhammad Nasar, Izhar Hussain Khosa, Muhammad Khan Lehri, Samina Khan, Anita Irfan and Kishwar Jattak.

With their decision, the number of PML-N lawmakers supporting Mr Bizenjo has reached 19 against the total strength of 21. The remaining two lawmakers are Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani and former CM Zehri.

In the 65-strong provincial assembly, the PML-Q has five members; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) eight; Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) two; Awami National Party, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen and BNP-Awami one each. There is also one independent lawmaker in the assembly.

The PkMAP having 14 members and the number of lawmakers belonging to the NP is 11. However, an incarcerated NP lawmaker, Mir Khalid Langove, is said to be supporting Mr Bizenjo as he had also supported the no-trust motion against former CM Zehri.

PkMAP parliamentary party leader in the Balochistan Assembly Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Syed Liaquat Agha submitted their nomination papers.

The PML-N, PML-Q and their allies also approached the NP leadership and sought its support for Bizenjo.

According to the Balochistan Assembly Speaker, three candidates — Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Syed Liaquat Agha of PkMAP — have filed their nomination papers for the election of the new leader of the house.

Five papers were filed for Mr Bizenjo. He was proposed by Mr Jamali, Sardar Bhootani, Dr Ruquyia Saeed Hashmi, Mr Zehri and Mr Badini, and seconded by Mr Bugti, Mr Notezai, Prince Ahmed Ali, Mir Aamir Khan Rind and Molvi Maazullah.

Sardar Mustafa Tareen and Abdul Majeed Achakzai have proposed and seconded the nomination paper for Ziaratwal.

Agha’s candidature was proposed by Obaidullah Babit and seconded by William Barkat.