QUETTA, March 8: A first-ever People’s Party-led government in Balochistan became a distinct possibility after the number of MPAs-elect pledging support to the party reached 28 on Saturday.

The party had won seven, out of the 51 general seats, in elections to the provincial assembly on Feb 18 while it bagged two seats reserved for women and one for minorities. The strength of the house is 65.

The party affiliation of the 28 would-be legislators affirming support to the PPP is: PML-Q nine, BNP-Awami seven, ANP three, NP-Parliamentary one, and eight independents.

The nine MPAs of the PML-Q announced their decision to support the PPP at a joint press conference at the MPA hostel. Earlier, the group met PPP’s chief minister hopeful, Nawab Aslam Raisani.

The names of the nine MPAs-elect are: Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, a former deputy speaker, Mrs Robina Irfan, Basant Lal Gulshan, Haml Kalmati, Mir Shoaib Nusherwani, Mir Habibur Rehman Mohammad Hasni, Mir Amanullah Notezai, Babu Mohammad Rahim Mengal and Saleem Khosa.

They criticised PML-Q for having been unable to finalise its candidate for chief minister’s post while other parties had already chosen their parliamentary leaders.

“Despite emerging as the majority party, the PML-Q has not yet nominated its consensus candidate for the post,” they said.

“We have taken this decision in the larger interest of the province and the country,” they claimed.

However, they said, if PML-Q was able to form a government in the province at a later stage, they would support it.

“We have formed a ‘like-minded’ group and not a forward bloc,” Mr Bhootani clarified.

A group of seven independent MPAs, headed by Sardar Aslam Bizenjo and Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, president of the National Party-Parliamentary, have also joined hands with PPP.

Nawab Aslam Raisani, the PPP’s chief minister hopeful, claimed to have the support of 42 MPAs. He said he would try to keep the provincial cabinet as small as possible.

10 DISSIDENTS: Ten members of a dissident group of the JUI-F also affirmed support to the People’s Party, but observers termed their support uncertain for now.

Pakistan Muslim league-Q had emerged as the majority party after winning 17 seats, but its strength came down to 15 after the death of Malik Sarwar Khan Kakar and the appointment of Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi as governor of Balochistan.

The party has won four seats reserved for women and one for minorities.