QUETTA: Balochistan Governor Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha has accepted resignations of the three ministers who have been protesting against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, while no decision has been taken on the resignations of two advisers and four parliamentary secretaries.

The governor accepted the resignations of the three ministers and sent them to the services and general administration department secretary to issue an official notification, stated a spokesman for the Governor House on Friday.

Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Food Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Minister for Social Welfare Mir Asadullah Baloch of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-Awami) were among those cabinet members who had expressed their anger and protested against the chief minister for what they said not consulting them while running the affairs of the province.

Their written resignations along with the resignations of two advisers to the chief minister Akbar Askani and Mohammad Khan Lehri and four parliamentary secretaries Bushra Rind, Mahjabeen Sheeran, Sikander Umrani and Lala Rasheed Baloch were submitted to the governor on Wednesday night.

Official sources said decision on the resignation of the advisers and the parliamentary secretaries were still pending. Since the chief minister was appointing authority, a decision on their resignations could be expected from Mr Alyani, they explained.

The sources also believed that the advisers and parliamentary secretaries might have to submit their resignations to the chief minister for acceptance.

Political crisis in Balochistan deepened after Chief Minister Alyani ignored the ultimatum given to him by some angry members of his cabinet and lawmakers from the ruling coalition 24-hours before the end of their 15-day protest against him.

Later, Minister for Social Welfare Mir Asadullah Baloch told the media that the protesting group decided not to budge from its stand about minus-one formula, claiming that the group having support of 38 to 40 members of the assembly would soon move a no-confidence motion against the chief minister. However, Adviser to the CM on Local Government Mir Gohram Bugti said efforts were under way to remove all differences thro­ugh negotiations between the chief minister and angry ministers and lawmakers. Similarly, Minister for Sports and Culture Abdul Khaliq Hazara asserted that the minus-one formula was unacceptable for the coalition government.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2021