Balochistan CM demands PM’s apology over Sanjrani remarks

• Bizenjo says will lead march towards Islamabad if Abbasi does not retract ‘irresponsible statement’ against Senate chairman
• Imran Khan says Abbasi must have pleaded with CJP to save Nawaz’s skin

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo threatened to march towards Islamabad unless Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi apologised to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani over his rough remarks about the chairman.

Earlier, at separate gatherings in Nankana Sahib and Lahore, PM Abbasi had expressed concern over the alleged horse-trading and ‘money-bought’ chairmanship in Senate. “The [Senate] chairman was not known in the political circles before,” he taunted.

Speaking at the joint press conference with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Thursday, Bizenjo said, “The entire Balochistan is shocked over Abbasi’s irresponsible statement about the Senate chairman. With Nawaz’s ouster, we hoped that the Prime Minister’s Secretariat would be open for the people of Balochistan but that is not the case.”

“How can he [the PM] make such a statement?” asked Bizenjo. “This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a legislator from Balochistan was appointed the Senate chairman. The position too is of such importance that it wasn’t reasonable for the PM to say such a thing and in such a language.”

Meanwhile, PTI chief Imran Khan lashed out at the prime minister’s recent meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar alleging that PM Abbasi must have ‘pleaded’ with the Justice Nisar to save his party leader Nawaz Sharif.

“I am sure PM Abbasi must have pleaded in the United States too, to save Nawaz,” Imran said.

Speaking about the recently held elections for the positions of Senate chairman and deputy chairman, Imran said a strategy was formed to not let candidates of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) be elected for the coveted positions.

“Nawaz Sharif started horse trading in Pakistan,” he added.

The prime minister’s statement had sparked anger among the opposition as Imran Khan had also criticised him saying, “So now PM Abbasi is crying about horse-trading & money deciding Senate elections! If his party was so concerned why didn’t t they support PTI’s proposals to change Senate elections’ format to prevent exactly these shenanigans earlier?”

Similarly, PTI on Wednesday had moved resolutions in the Punjab and Sindh provincial assemblies condemning Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s remarks against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and demanded an apology from him.

On March 13, an independent candidate from Balochistan Sadiq Sanjrani, backed by the joint opposition, won the Senate chairmanship with 57 votes against 46 of ruling party’s candidate while Saleem Mandviwalla belonging to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was elected as the deputy chairman of Senate.

PTI WORKERS CLASH UPON IMRAN’S ARRIVAL IN QUETTA: 

Two groups PTI workers clashed with each other as Imran Khan concluded his address at a membership drive camp in Quetta on Thursday evening.

Upon the arrival of Imran Khan at the camp, members of PTI Balochistan’s Noor Damar group chanted slogans against the party’s provincial leadership.

The clash erupted between two groups of workers after the PTI chairman left the camp near Metropolitan Corporation Office Square, following his address with workers and supporters there. Although the police immediately tried to disperse the crowd, the enraged workers continued to clash with each other for hours before they finally dispersed.