CM Bizenjo says Sanjrani’s election people’s victory

Lashes out at NP president for levelling false allegations

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has termed the election of Independent Senator Saqib Sanjrani as the Senate chairman a victory of the people of the province.

However, the CM lamented National Party (NP) President Hasil Bizenjo’s Monday speech claiming that “parliament has been defeated by some forces”.



“On our return from the airport, the people of Balochistan welcomed us with rose petals because for the first time in the history of Pakistan a senator from Balochistan has been sworn in as the Senate chairman,” said the Balochistan chief minister while addressing a presser on Tuesday.  He was flanked by Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti.

Quddus said, “Instead of joining hands with us in grabbing the top Senate slot, the so-called nationalists, who pretend to be champions of democracy, have been lashing out against us in their unexplicit speeches that are completely astonishing for the people of Balochistan.”

Naming Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and the NP president, the CM said, “I had been expecting their support for the Senate chairmanship, and not an accusation that undemocratic forces backed our victory. I felt completely ashamed in Islamabad over their (Mehmood Khan and Hasil Bizenjo’s) response to Sanjrani’s election as Senate chairman.”



He said the nationalists had been accusing Islamabad of not selecting people from Balochistan on key government posts, but “today a son of the soil has succeeded in fighting Balochistan’s case which is turning out to be a hard pill for them to swallow”.

“Still we congratulate all, including those hurling false allegations, as we triumph in bringing honour to the people of Balochistan,” Quddus added.

To a query about Hasil’s stance over undemocratic power behind Senate elections, the CM said, “I haven’t seen any hidden power, maybe Hasil has.”

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The NP boycotted the electoral process during the 2008 general elections, but astonishingly Hasil emerged as a senator, he said. “I want to ask him who was behind him then or had he committed horse-trading?”

Applauding the support of political parties for Balochistan’s Independent senators, Quddus said, “We had announced on March 4 that this time the Senate chairman must be from Balochistan and Allah accepted our words.

We had only six senators but we initiated our move for Senate’s chairman and succeeded in it. PPP, PTI, MQM and senators from Fata backed our demand to push Balochistan forward.”



To a question on forming an alliance in the upcoming elections, Quddus said, “Indeed we will contest summer elections under the banner of our Independent group.”

He urged the people of Balochistan to find their true representations instead of stage actors only capable of rhetoric.

The Balochistan CM said that there were hearsays that “we will dissolve the assemblies but we didn’t and then they said that we will join hands with political parties but we contested independently”.

Balochistan’s case would be fought more fiercely with Sanjrani as the new Senate chairman, he added.

Criticising PkMAP chief, Home Minister Bugti said, “I appeal to Achakzai, who pretends to be a champion of democracy, to please go for intra-party elections within his party otherwise his candidates will have to contest independently.”