Intra-party polls cause divide in BAP

QUETTA:

The announcement of intraparty elections in the ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has created yet another divide within the party as its two factions have once again locked horns over the issue.

Although, since its inception BAP is not new to differences, the recent announcement by the party secretary general about the intraparty elections has practically divided the party into two rival camps.

BAP central secretary general Senator Manzoor Kakar announced intraparty elections on May 9th.

This prompted the former chief minister and BAP president Jam Kamal Khan to hastily issue a clarification.

“The secretary general didn’t consult me and senior party leadership regarding the elections and announced it on his own,” Jam Kamal ‘clarified’ on his Twitter handle.

The former CM mentioned that the secretary general has no right to decide on elections without consulting party president and senior leadership.

The ruling party has 25 lawmakers in the 65-member Balochistan Assembly. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked BAP to hold intraparty elections to fulfill a legal requirement for participation in local government (LG) as well as next general elections.

But the party is already divided into two groups as Jam Kamal leads one faction and Chief Minister Mir Quddus Bizenjo is head of the rival camp.

Bizenjo objected to the election of Jam Kamal as president back in May 16, 2018 but he cleverly avoided press statements against Jam Kamal.

Although, one year after the formation of the BAP-led coalition government in Balochistan, Bizenjo confronted Jam Kamal and secretly formed his own group of like-minded lawmakers within the party.

Subsequently, Bizenjo succeeded in the removal of Jam Kamal as the CM in October 2021 through a no-trust motion.

He was successful in mustering the support of opposition parties including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), Balochistan National Party (BNP), and Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) too.

It may be recalled that BAP was mysteriously established on March 29, 2018, and it became the largest parliamentary group in the province.

CM Bizenjo and his endless worries

The worries and challenges of CM Bizenjo are not limited to just serious divisions and opposition within the party ranks.

The unfolding events in Islamabad and the change of the government have also caused him restless nights.

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, a close friend and political supporter, has also rendered unconditional support to Bizenjo in the removal of Jam Kamal and installing him as CM Balochsitan.

However, currently, the plight of Sadiq Sanjrani also hangs in balance as the ruling coalition is likely to replace him. The removal of Sanjrani would weaken the position of Bizenjo as Jam Kamal has already started lobbying against him and gained the support of Maulana Abdul Wasey, the JUI-F Balochistan Amir.

Talking to The Express Tribune Shehzada Zulfiqar, a Balochistan-based senior journalist said it is up to the founders of the party whether or not to keep BAP intact.

He maintained that the party was formed to counter nationalist forces in the province. However, currently, the political dynamics have completely changed in Balochistan and the country.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2022.