QUETTA: Arsalan Iftikhar, the son of former chief justice of Supreme Court Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, resigned from the office of Vice Chairman, Balochistan Board of Investment, on Thursday.

Official sources told Dawn that Mr Arsalan Iftikhar had tendered his resignation.

The sources also said that the National Party leadership, including its chief Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, had advised Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch to review his decision to appoint Arsalan as the board’s Vice Chairman and Dr Malik asked him to tender his resignation.

The Balochistan government received the resignation of Arsalan on Thursday, the sources added.

The chief minister had come in for a lot of flak from media and politicians over the appointment.

Political leaders, including some from the ruling party, opposed the decision and pressed Dr Malik to undo the appointment.

Addressing the Chairman of the Board of Investment ( the chief minister himself) Arsalan Iftikhar wrote in his resignation letter: “Let me take this opportunity to thank you for the trust you reposed in me. I am deeply indebted for this confidence. Sir, we both know you took this step in good faith and were neither forced nor asked by the head of any political party.

“It was not part of any conspiracy to sell our motherland Balochistan’s assets and resources, as cowardly and sheepishly alleged by a few politicians and talk show hosts who have rarely ever visited our Balochistan and are probably not even aware of how many districts there are in our province, how many languages are spoken there, and what are the centuries old traditions or the fact that our society and tribal traditions do not respect and honour people because of the office they hold and change once they cease to have one. Rather it’s permanent relation based on decades of affiliation.”

“I was accused of being a nominee of the federal government. In fact a conspiracy theory was hatched that I am selected to be part of some shameful act to sell the rights of Reko Diq which belong to the people of my province.

“I do not need any post or designation. I have seen these embellishments throughout my life as my honourable father was appointed advocate general of Balochistan by a very honourable man, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, who always led from the front and who knew how to take a stand on his decisions and never succumbed to any pressure.

“I condemn, refute and protest on this approach or thinking that I was appointed to this post for some specific project or to sell the wealth of the people of my province. My critique will find it even more frustrating to know that I am not clinging to any office which I should have been if I was here on the directions of someone from Islamabad.

“To all those foul mouthing me I invite and challenge them to take me to any court of law and prove their allegations.”

In conclusion, Arsalan wrote: “I have a perennial love for my soil as I am a proud son of Balochistan. My family graveyard, where my grandfather and ancestors are buried, is in Balochistan. This is my motherland.

“However, sir, in this situation, as I highlighted earlier, I do not have any vested interest and in order to show it I render my resignation. This should be enough for my critics to prove them wrong.”

Earlier in the day, the provincial assembly session saw a number of speakers lashing out at the government over the appointment of Arsalan.

Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, an opposition MPA and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F criticised the government for appointing Arsalan to an important post.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2014