Balochistan CM-designate reaches out to Akhtar Mengal

Dr Malik seeks BNP-M chief’s support in good governance.

QUETTA:

The majority party nominee for Balochistan chief minister Dr Abdul Malik met the former chief minister of the province Sardar Akhtar Mengal at the latter’s residence on Monday.

Mengal said that Dr Malik’s visit made him quite happy as the gesture was “in keeping with the Baloch tradition.”

He said our contacts would remain intact as this is part of politics.

During the meeting, Akhtar Mengal told Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s nominee that the new government will be faced with multiple challenges such as mutilated dead bodies turning up from across the province and incidents of kidnapping for ransom, which were spreading fear among the masses and causing the Baloch population to forsake their land.

Dr Abdul Malik responded by asking Akhtar Mengal to help him in ensuring good governance. For this purpose, he said, he would go to meet all the political parties so that the problems could be solved soon.

Mengal deemed the nomination of Dr Abdul Malik a “positive step,” pledging to help him in solving the province’s issues.

Central Secretary General of National Party Tahir Bizenjo and senior vice president of Balochistan National Party (M) Janzaib Jamaldini were  also present at the meeting.

Thanking PML-N

Later, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch addressed party workers at the MPA Hostel in Quetta, in which he thanked Mian Nawaz Sharif, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and his other colleagues for nominating him as Chief Minister Balochistan.

He said that his party had been “put in an exam by our coalition partners,” and success can only be achieved by setting up an exemplary government in Balochistan.

“The workers of National Party will struggle to solve the issue of missing persons and mutilated dead bodies as per the party’s electoral manifesto.”

He directed the party workers to refrain from corruption, and show seriousness. “If we are accused of dishonesty it would be a huge humiliation for the National Party,” he warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.