QUETTA: In order to keep its coalition government in Balochistan intact, the central leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz formed a committee on Wednesday to address grievances of the party members.

The committee — headed by Raja Zafarul Haq and comprising Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Saad Rafiq — has been tasked by PML-N president Nawaz Sharif with keeping the disgruntled MPAs, ministers and advisers from ditching the party at a time when it’s already facing a crisis.

Sources said that the committee would be visiting Quetta in a couple of days. But the dissident PML-N legislators said they would not meet any member of the committee as the no-confidence motion against PML-N’s Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had already been submitted to the Assembly secretariat.

According to Section 19-B of the Balochistan Assembly’s Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 1974, “A notice of a resolution under clause (1) of Article 136 of the Constitution shall be given in writing to the Secretary by not less than twenty per centum of the total membership of the Assembly”.

After the secretary circulates the notice to all members, it “shall be entered in the name of the members concerned in the List of Business for the first working day after the expiry of seven clear days of the receipt of the notice”.

Section 19-2(5) of the assembly’s rules of procedure reads, “When the resolution is moved, the Speaker may, after considering the state of business, allot a day for the voting on the resolution: Provided that the resolution shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days, from the day on which the resolution is moved in the Assembly”.

Differences in the ranks of the Balochistan chapter of PML-N surfaced on Tuesday after its three members joined hands with the opposition members who submitted the no-confidence motion against CM Zehri.

Former home minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, who was considered close to Mr Zehri, was the first to announce his resignation from the cabinet. Mir Sarfaraz Domki, who held the portfolio of fisheries, followed suit.

An important development was witnessed on Wednesday when Prince Ahmed Ali Ahmedzai, who had been appointed adviser to the chief minister on social welfare recently, resigned.

Immediately after returning to Quetta on Tuesday night, Mr Zehri had sacked Sarfaraz Bugti and special assistant on excise and taxation Amanullah Notezai. But Mr Bugti claimed that he had submitted his resignation to the governor before the arrival of Mr Zehri in Quetta.

On Wednesday, CM Zehri held meetings with the MPAs of his party and that of National Party and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.

He appointed Majid Abro of the PML-N special assistant on excise and taxation in place of Mr Notezai, but he has not appointed anyone to look after home and tribal affairs departments.

The chief minister has also not sent advice to the governor for removal of Mr Domki.

Mir Qudoos Bizenjo, who is leading the rebels, claimed that his group enjoyed enough support for the success of the motion.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan Assembly secretariat notified the members about the no-confidence.

According to some officials, the speaker has summoned the assembly session on Jan 9.

The coalition partners — National Party and PkMAP — have pledged to support the chief minister.

PML-N Balochistan general secretary Naseebullah Khan Bazai said that show-cause notices would be issued to the party members who had signed the no-trust motion.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2018