Raisani repeats rigging charges during swearing-in

Expresses support for govt over province’s share in NFC Award

QUETTA: Former chief minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani on Monday took oath as member of Balochistan Assembly. Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Musakhael administered the oath during the assembly session.

Addressing the assembly members after his swearing in, Raisani reiterated allegations of rigging in the July 25 elections. He said ‘kidnapping of votes’ was carried out during the elections.

The former chief minister claimed that many of his friends, despite being part of the incumbent government, admitted that the elections were rigged.



He alleged that people were picked up before elections in Balochistan and their families were threatened to vote for certain candidates.

Raisani vowed to continue serving the people of Balochistan. He said his first step would be to ‘eliminate the remnants of former military dictator’ Pervez Musharraf from the province.

He lamented that he had been raising his voice for the missing persons for the last 25 years but nobody paid any heed.

The former CM said his government restored Levies on the public demand, and merging it with police would be a futile exercise. He asked the House to offer fateha for the martyrs of the Mastung blast.

Raisani expressed full support for Balochistan government on its share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and said eight years had passed but smaller provinces had been waiting for the award.

He said the opposition would support the provincial government in its efforts for the province’s due share in the award.



The senior politicians said that despite unfavourable circumstances, he was being elected MPA for the last 30 years, adding that Nawab Akbar Bugti and Nawab Ghous Buksh Barozai remained his seniors in the house.

Talking about the importance of Gwadar in the region, Raisani said the port city “is and will always be an integral part of Balochistan” and “nobody would be allowed to sell Gwadar against the will of the people of the province”.

He said his government had a clear stance on Reko Diq Copper and Gold Project. “Due to my strict stance on the project, I came under a suicide attack, but survived,” he added.