QUETTA: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has rejected a perception that the newly-elected chief minister of Balochistan will dissolve the provincial assembly and the coming Senate elections will be sabotaged.

Speaking at a press conference along with Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Senator Kamil Ali Agha here on Monday, he said the PML-Q was not part of any plan to sabotage the Senate polls.

He said his party would never seek dissolution of assemblies or indulge in any undemocratic act which sabotaged the Senate or general elections.

Mr Elahi criticised those who said that the election of the chief minister, whose party had only five seats in the provincial assembly, was an insult to the mandate, and pointed out that it was the democratic right of legislators to elect the leader of the house of their choice.

“The propaganda against an elected chief minister is an insult to the elected representatives,” he said.

Bilawal says PPP had no role in change of Balochistan govt

Mr Elahi also denied that the PML-Q members would join another party and said: “It could be the desire of some people, but not a reality.”

He said his party leadership was making efforts to bring all Muslim Leaguers under one umbrella. He expressed the hope that politicians belonging to the PML-N would also join his party in forming governments at the Centre and in the provinces.

He said the election of Mr Bizenjo as chief minister was a blessing of Allah and the next chief executive of Balochistan would also be from the PML-Q with the help of allies and friends. He said that 41 members of the assembly had voted in favour of Mr Bizenjo.

The former chief minister of Punjab said that Mr Bizenjo would outperform the past chief ministers of Balochistan and in the limited time his government would make all-out efforts to do something against corruption and solve the problems being faced by the people of the province.

Chief Minister Bizenjo said on the occasion that he would resolve important issues of the people for which he had summoned all files.

“People will see their problems being addressed and solved with speed,” he claimed.

He lauded the sacrifices of the police personnel who had laid down their lives while fighting terrorists and lawless people.

Mr Bizenjo said that he would upgrade the police force for which he had started work. He said he would not criticise the past governments and their performances.

The chief minister said he would work hard to solve problems of the people. “We have formed a government after making untiring efforts and we would make it successful also. We will perform our duties according to our best abilities to solve problems of the people.”

Senator Robina Irfan, provincial minister Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel and adviser to the CM on finance Dr Ruquyia Saeed Hashmi were also present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari while addressing a press conference in Karachi said that his party or Asif Zardari had no role in change of government in Balochistan.

However, he expressed the confidence that the PPP would sweep the coming election and form the government in the province.

When his attention was invited to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s allegation about assets, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said when he would contest elections he would declare all his assets.

Habib Khan Ghori also contributed to this report from Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2018