Verbal duel ruins Balochistan Assembly session

Opposition reiterates call for cabinet to resign; ex-CM seeks to absolve himself

QUETTA: The mega financial corruption scam reverberated in the Balochistan Assembly on Monday as opposition lawmakers reiterated their call for the provincial cabinet to accept the blame and step down.

The scam came to light on Friday when a NAB team recovered more than Rs730 million in cash from the house of former provincial finance secretary Mushtaq Raisani. The money was allegedly stolen from the local government fund.



When the provincial assembly convened on Monday, opposition member Engineer Zamrak Achakzai pledged a relentless protest campaign in and outside the assembly until the cabinet resigned. Other opposition legislators supported Achakzai by thumping their desks.

Speaking on a point of order, Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri said the matter was sub judice as allegations against Raisani were being investigated. Zehri’s statement failed to impress the opposition.



Maulana Abdul Wassay of the JUI-F said Raisani’s crime was so obvious that there was no need for investigations. “Investigations are conducted in cases where crime is not established,” he added. “The chief minister was holding the additional portfolio of finance [when Raisani allegedly embezzled the money],” he said referring to Zehri’s predecessor Dr Abdul Malik Baloch.

The Maulana demanded that Dr Malik and the incumbent cabinet resign. “It is a 40 billion-rupee scam which involves four to five provincial departments,” he said.

Responding to Maulana Wassey’s verbal assault, Dr Malik claimed he was not in charge of the finance ministry as he had delegated all the powers to his advisers. “The opposition deliberately wants to create an uproar.”

Dr Malik’s reply further frayed the tempers as opposition lawmakers resorted to sloganeering and desk-thumping, forcing Speaker Raheela Durrani to adjourn the proceedings for 15 minutes.



Later Nasarullah Zehry said persisting drought conditions affected a large chunk of population in Balochistan which is dependent on agriculture. “Globally, 60% of the budget is allocated for research in the agriculture sector – but sadly, in Pakistan this percentage is only 4,” he regretted.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2016.