Coalition partners being treated equally: CM

Says his govt wants to work with all for progress in the province

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Wednesday said that he was not interfering in the internal affairs of other political parties.

He was referring to the allegations levelled by Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Balochistan President.

Talking to reporters after the election for a Senate seat, Kamal claimed that all coalition partners in the provincial cabinet were being treated equally. He said the provincial government, led by the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), had taken all coalition partners into confidence on all decision.

The CM said he would pay equal attention to all coalition partners and cabinet members as regards their demands. “Our party has never pressurised any coalition partner or cabinet member, and we never intend to impose our decision on them,” he said.

Kamal said he was surprised by the allegations, adding that his government wanted to work with all coalition partners for the development of the province.

He said that BAP’s 35 members voted in favour of PTI’s Arif Alvi during the presidential elections. “The PTI is part of our cabinet and its members should present the party’s agenda during cabinet sessions,” he added.

The CM lauded the coalition partners for supporting BAP’s candidate Sarfaraz Bugti who emerged victorious in the Senate election.

Rind, the PTI’s Balochistan President, had said that his party was not ready to work as a B-team of the government. He added that the party would be independent in its decision if BAP did not take decisions on merit as well the principles decided between the two parties.