CM Kamal denies resigning as BAP president

Party appoints Vice President Buledi as acting chief after Kamal’s announcement on Twitter

QUETTA:

Provincial Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has denied resigning as the president of the Balochistan Awami Party in the face of the no-confidence motion submitted against him in the provincial assembly, as Vice President and MPA Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi was appointed the party’s acting chief.

A total of 14 MPAs – 11 from BAP, two from the Balochistan National Party-Awami and one from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – signed the no-trust vote on Monday.
The motion blames CM Kamal for giving “lukewarm response to gas, water, electricity and economic crises in Balochistan”.

Addressing a news conference at the CM House on Tuesday, CM Kamal, who is also the BAP president, said that he had proposed stepping down from the presidency but not submitted a written resignation.
Provincial ministers Nawabzada Tariq Magsi, Mir Arif Muhammad Hassani, Mir Ziaullah Langau, Haji Mitha Khan Kakar, Sardar Sarfraz Domki, Haji Muhammad Khan Tor Utmankhel, parliamentary secretaries Dr Rubaba Buledi, Sardar Masood Luni, Khalil George, Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar, Prince Agha Omar Ahmadzai and others were also present.

Kamal said, “The 14 members who have expressed no confidence, should also present majority in the motion, as the decision of the majority will be accepted.”

He refuted rumours about party split, saying: “No party is being created from BAP and it will be stronger than ever … we will try our best to bring everyone together.”

Meanwhile, BAP Central Secretary General Manzoor Ahmed Kakar sent a letter regarding Buledi’s appointment to the Election Commission.

According to the letter, the BAP meeting was held under the chairmanship of founding member Saeed Ahmad Hashmi.

BAP leaders laid emphasis on the fact that intra-party elections should be held after the resignation of CM Kamal.

The meeting decided that the appointment and nomination of the acting president is necessary so that the affairs of intra-party elections could be run smoothly.

READ CM Kamal demands apology from opposition leaders

“In this regard, by mutual consultation, MPA Mir Zahoor Ahmad Buledi has been nominated as the

Acting President,” the letter stated, adding that the Election Commission is informed under the Election Commission Act 2017.

CM Kamal had announced his resignation as the party president through his official Twitter account.

At the news conference, Kamal said that he had expressed a wish regarding party affairs which had “angered many friends”.

"I am grateful to the friends [the ones who stood by him] for the confidence they have shown. We intend to hold party elections in October or November. Then the next president will take care of matters," Kamal said.

"We have repeatedly tried to appease angry people. I am withdrawing my desire to resign from the party presidency on the insistence of my friends.

"I will try to take all matters forward till the election. BAP is a democratic party. The suggestion of resignation on Twitter was my personal opinion. I tweeted without consulting my friends in which I wrote that I can resign from the post but I have not resigned in writing."

"I try to take things in a positive way. Some people in the party are suffering from misunderstanding," he said.

Kamal said if the angry people came, “we would sit together and talk, but they have sidelined the party”.
“We went to the houses of the angry people many times.”

He said that all things including development work are going on. He denied meeting Asif Ali Zardari, saying that no meeting was held with him in three to four years.

"We don't have doors or windows for everyone," he said. "Political and individual issues are different.
"In politics, we listen to each other. BAP is united. After a month, the party will be strong."

Separately, while addressing a news conference outside his residence, BAP Chief Organiser Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali said that CM Jam Kamal should convene a parliamentary meeting of BAP.
He said that the no-confidence motion was filed by angry BAP members.

"As the BAP chief organiser, it is my responsibility to organise it. By the second week of November, a new president will be elected," he said.

"A tug-of-war is going on. There is a division in the parliamentary group. Let him [CM Kamal] decide in the House what will happen in the future so that the tug-of-war can end. If I have to make a sacrifice, I will," he said.

He reiterated confidence in CM Kamal’s leadership.
To a question if it was too late to resolve the issue, he said, “It is not too late.”

“Kamal is leading the province and the party for the first time. He needs guidance and unfortunately in Balochistan, weak coalition governments have been formed," Jamali said.