Law minister Farooq H Naek speaking outside a court. PHOTO: AFP
The deadlock over a caretaker setup in Balochistan persisted on Monday as the government and its lead coalition partners in the province, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), failed to reach a consensus.
“We want the top slot in Balochistan’s caretaker set-up,” said JUI-F leader Ghafoor Haidri, adding that the party had refused an offer by President Zardari for installing a JUI-F leader as chief minister during the dying days of the incumbent provincial assembly.
Though senior government officials were reluctant to speak about the Balochistan issue, insiders in Prime Minister and President House revealed that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the main stakeholder in the Balochistan Assembly, had decided to sit on the opposition benches.
These sources added that last week, Law Minister Farooq Naek met Maulana Fazl to chalk out a possible solution to the crisis. They said that Naek had so far not succeeded in convincing JUI-F and was still wooing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led collation partners in the province. Officials’ privy to the issue told The Express Tribune that lifting governor rule was a constitutional requirement for initiating the process of installing a caretaker set-up in the province.
President Asif Ali Zardari had announced imposition of governor rule in Balochistan under article 234 of the constitution, following the deteriorating law and order situation in the province after Chief Minister Aslam Raisani’s government repeatedly failed to deliver.
Last week, Naek had informed the media that a decision on lifting governor’s rule would be taken within two days (by Sunday). Responding to a question, Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar confirmed that attempts to lift governor’s rule were underway.
On Monday, Naek rushed to Lahore to meet President Zardari where he spent almost two and a half hours discussing legal lacunas related to Balochistan. Following the meeting, the law minister returned to Islamabad where he reportedly met JUI-F leader Senator Ghafoor Haideri at dinner hosted by PPP chief whip in the Upper House, Senator Islamuddin Sheikh.
Sources added that it was decided by both party leaders to meet again in Islamabad today (Tuesday). Meanwhile, sources within JUI-F added that another meeting between Naek and Maulana Fazl was expected within two days and that the politically savvy Maulana’s decision to sit in opposition was taken in light of the party wanting the top slot during the caretaker period.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2013.
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