Bizenjo vows to face no-trust motion in democratic way

Balochistan CM says if anyone has any complaints, he is ready to listen

QUETTA:

Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo on Thursday vowed to face the no-confidence motion submitted against him in the provincial assembly on Wednesday in a democratic manner.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentary leader in the Balochistan Assembly Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind filed the no-confidence motion. Rind was accompanied by Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader and former provincial chief minister Jam Kamal Khan and Awami National Party (ANP) parliamentary leader Asghar Khan Achakzai.

The motion carries the signatures of 14 lawmakers of the provincial assembly. Apart from Rind, Kamal and Achakzai, other MPAs included BAP’s Zahoor Buledi, Mohammad Arif, Saleem Ahmed, Nawabzada Tariq Magsi, Mitta Khan Kakar and Sardar Sarfaraz Chakar Domki, ANP’s Malik Naeem Bazai and Shaheena, and PTI’s Bibi Fareeda, Mir Naimatullah Zehri and Mobeen Khan.

The Balochistan Assembly is a 65-strong house with the ratio of 51 general, 11 women and three minority seats, which means that in order for the no-trust move to succeed, a total of 33 votes are required.

Talking to reporters after the inauguration of a function organised in connection with the Hazara Culture Day, Chief Minister Bizenjo said that he has decided to face the no-confidence motion “in a democratic way”.
“If anyone has any complaints, I am ready to listen,” Bizenjo said.

The chief minister, however, said that at this critical time when the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 fast approaches, the submission of the no-confidence motion means only one thing – Jam Kamal group wants its financial share for the schemes from the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Bizenjo said, “Victory or defeat, it does not make any difference to me."

When asked about the claims of PTI lawmaker Rind that the numbers game was complete, he said, "Sardar Rind is our elder."

On Wednesday, Rind said, “We enjoy the support of all political parties in the removal of CM Bizenjo. Our numbers are complete. It is only a matter of time.”

He said they had no "personal issues" with Bizenjo, adding that their problem was with his administration and style of governance.

Rind claimed that there were issues of law and order, corruption and examples of bad governance in the current set-up. He added that former chief minister Kamal’s government seemed "like an angel” in comparison with the incumbent one.

He said differences with the former chief minister were with the pace of work but there was no questions about his honesty.

Giving reasons for the no-trust motion against the CM Bizenjo, Kamal claimed that everything had been “ruined” by the incumbent government.

He maintained that the development projects and what he claimed to be “pro-people projects” initiated by his government were suspended by CM Bizenjo.

"We are in contact with component parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement,” Kamal said, adding that the PDM would support the no-confidence motion.

During the wee hours of Thursday, Chief Minister Bizenjo sacked all ministers, parliamentary secretaries and advisers who had signed the no-confidence motion. The ministers included Nawabzada Tariq Magsi, Mobeen Khilji and others.