• Jan Jamali gets nod for speaker’s slot
• PTI decides to nominate Rind, Musakhail for the two offices

QUETTA: Following hours-long consultations, leaders of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) on Monday agreed to nominate Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo as leader of the house and Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali as speaker of the Balochistan Assembly.

Mr Bizenjo, the speaker, submitted his resignation to the governor after the assembly session in which no-trust motion against former chief minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani was withdrawn by the angry group of BAP’s members.

The meeting, held at the residence of BAP founder Senator Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, was attended by party’s acting president Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Mr Bizenjo, Sardar Mohammad Saleh Bhootani, Mr Jamali and some other members.

They discussed the formation of the new government in cooperation with the coalition partners. The meeting after long discussions and consultations agreed on the name of Mr Bizenjo for the office of the leader of the house. It also decided to name Mr Jamali for the post of Speaker Balochistan Assembly.

It was decided that after the election of the leader of the house and speaker, names for the new cabinet would be decided in consultation with allied parties who would be part of the coalition government.

The BAP leaders rejected speculation about differences in the group or the party over the nomination of Mr Bizenjo.

“We will form an exemplary government in the province,” a senior leader claimed. “Our delegations have already met the representatives of PTI, ANP and Hazara Democratic Party. We will invite them to come and take part in introducing a new style of government in the province in which all members of the assembly will work for the welfare of the province, addressing the suffering of people and health, education and other problems,” Mr Buledi said while talking to reporters after the assembly session.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary party of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf also met with Sardar Yar Mohammed Rind in the chair. Mr Rind, who was in the United States, reached Quetta after cutting short his visit.

According to sources, the meeting discussed the prevailing political situation and decided that PTI would also field its candidates for the leader of the house and the slot of Speaker.

The meeting decided the name Mr Rind for the slot of the leader of the house and deputy speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail for the post of Speaker.

A two-member committee comprising Niamatullah Zehri and Mir Omer Khan Jamali was formed which will contact the allied parties.

Earlier, members of BAP’s angry group withdrew the no-confidence motion against Mr Alyani in the wake of his resignation.

Mr Bizenjo told the house that there would be no voting on the motion as Mr Alyani had resigned and a notification about the acceptance of his resignation had already been issued.

Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, who had tabled the no-confidence motion on Oct 20, sought the permission to withdraw the motion. The members allowed him to take back the motion.

Mr Alyani, members of his cabinet and MPAs who had been supporting him, did not attend the session. Only one of the MPAs, Khalil George Bhutto, was present.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2021