Kamal calls parliamentary party meeting amid rifts

Move comes a day after Speaker Bizenjo filed a privilege motion against CM

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal on Saturday called a parliamentary party meeting as the rifts between the CM and the provincial assembly Speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo intensified after the latter filed a privilege motion against the CM in the provincial assembly secretariat.

According to sources, the meeting would be convened by Kamal on Jan 28.

Meanwhile, Senator Sarfraz Bugti and Balochistan Finance Minister Zahoor Buledi slammed the speaker on micro blogging site Twitter. Bizenjo has filed separate privilege motions against the senator and the minister.

Criticising the speaker’s statements on media, the senator tweeted that Bizenjo was making political statements using the position of Balochistan Assembly speaker.

“If he [Bizenjo] wants to campaign against the Chief Minister Jam Kamal, he should leave the post of the speaker,” Bugti tweeted.

The speaker had urged the privilege committee to call an explanation from the CM, the minister and the senator for exploiting privilege of the custodian of the house.

“I have a right of freedom of speech being an ordinary citizen and speaker of Balochistan Assembly under Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan. However, provincial Chief Minister Jam Kamal issued a statement against me in a private newspaper labelling me a sentimental person exploiting my right,” stated Bizenjo in his motion submitted against the CM.

Bizenjo addressed a press conference on Friday and claimed that he was compelled to speak up for people of Balochistan because the governance system had completely halted and people did not have access to the Chief Minister House. He said speaking against speaker of the house is tantamount to talking against the Constitution.

He said he was the custodian of the house which comprises treasury and opposition members. Therefore provincial lawmakers and ministers should refrain from speaking against the speaker.

The speaker also claimed that toppling government of Jam Kamal was an easy task because he had full support of like-minded members of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and members of opposition parties. He added the situation would be revealed in a few days.

Referring to a movement in 2018 before general election, the Balochistan Assembly speaker admitted that he had commenced movement against then Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief minister with the support of majority members.

Moreover, he had support of other members this time to continue his endeavours for good governance in the province. On Jan 22, the speaker expressed lack of trust on the chief minister while talking to a private news channel. He claimed that other lawmakers had also lost trust in Kamal.

Kamal responded to Bizenjo’s allegations against him on Thursday announcing that he was ready to face a no-trust motion because the speaker’s statements were his own views.

After oath taking ceremony for two new ministers, Kamal said the speaker could only define the context in which he had given statements against performance of provincial government.

The CM added that a continual talk of no-trust move was being heard since he had taken oath as the Balochistan chief minister.

Earlier, the Balochistan Assembly speaker was affiliated with the PML-Q.

However, in 2018 Bizenjo joined BAP which was formed a few months before the general elections. A no-confidence motion was moved against the then chief minister Sanaullah Zehri and later Bizenjo became the CM till July 2018 polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2020.