QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has said that the provincial assembly speaker as the custodian of the house has the authority to constitute a parliamentary committee comprising opposition and treasury members to resolve the issue between the two sides.

He made it clear that there was no plan to remove Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo from the post of speaker.

In a meeting with editors and columnists at Chief Minister House, Mr Alyani that he was ready to give power to the assembly to withdraw the FIR against the opposition MPAs.

He said that the assembly should decide how the affairs of the house should be run.

Referring to the protest of the opposition parties, he said that the opposition had violated democratic and tribal values through their unruly protest and an attack on the MPAs who were coming to the assembly to attend the budget session. The opposition had to apologise for this attitude, he added.

Says he’s ready to allow Balochistan Assembly to withdraw FIR against opposition MPAs

The CM said that the opposition lawmakers, instead of protesting on roads and in police stations, should come to the assembly and voice their reservations and complaints in the house.

He said that the speaker had written a letter to the authorities concerned for an investigation into the June 18 incident in which sanctity of the assembly was violated. “The elements involved in attacking the assembly would face legal action,” the chief minister said.

He said that it was the responsibility of the government to present the budget in any case for which they (treasury members) went to the assembly but everybody knew what happened on the premises of the assembly.

“It was the undemocratic attitude of the opposition parties which worsened the situation,” Mr Alyani said.

He refuted the opposition’s “propaganda” and said that the government had not ignored any opposition member’s constituency in the budget presented on Friday last. Under the incumbent government, he said, most of development work had been carried out in the constituencies of the opposition MPAs.

Replying to a question about the death of former Senator Usman Kakar, he said” “The government is ready to cooperate with the family of the late leader of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party on this issue. If they (the family) have any proof, the (national) security institution would make all out efforts to reach the elements involved in an attack on him.”

About the resignation of provincial education minister Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, the CM said that the former’s anger was beyond comprehension. “He is sometimes angry and sometimes happy.”

The chief minister said that he had never interfered in the affairs of Mr Rind’s department. “As far as tribal affairs of Sardar Rind are concerned, the government has never been a party to it,” he added.

Responding to another question about negotiations with disgruntled leaders living abroad, he said that talks with them could be held only when they recognised the country.

“I am not in touch with Khan of Kalat. Political differences of angry people can be discussed but national security cannot be compromised,” he said.

“I am chief minister today, I will not be here tomorrow, but respect for national institutions is must for everyone,” he remarked.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2021