CM Bizenjo may not contest polls

Says he won’t dissolve his coalition government in Balochistan

QUETTA:

Vowing to complete his tenure, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo on Saturday said he might not participate in the upcoming general elections.

“Neither would I finish the government, nor step down as the chief minister, Bizenjo pledged while addressing a crowded news conference at the CM’s secretariat.

“I am not a weak chief minister,” he added.

Balochistan government spokesperson Farah Azeem Shah as well as the CM’s coordinators Babar Yousafzai and Syed Amruddin Agha were also present on the occasion. The chief minister spoke at length about his priorities and problems.

He announced empowering the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) for the recruitment of grade-5 employees from across the province.

“This was a difficult decision and the MPAs would be annoyed over this,” he explained.

Bizenjo maintained that officers with the best performance would be posted at the BPSC to ensure transparency and merit in the recruitment process.

He elaborated that the number of BPSC members would be increased so that the process could be improved.

The chief minister said youth would be appointed on a contractual basis to overcome the shortage of teachers in the province.

He announced that teachers and professors from other provinces would be recruited if there was a shortage of faculty members in Balochistan.

About the Reko Diq gold and copper project, the CM informed that Balochistan would receive Rs300 billion every year from it.

He added that the foreign company would invest $8 billion in the Reko Diq project, creating job opportunities for thousands of youngsters of Balochistan.

He explained that the federal government would also invest Rs600 billion in the Reko Diq project.

“This would be a major investment in Balochistan,” he added.

Speaking about the polls, he dispelled the impression that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) spent only Rs1.5 million on the process. He claimed that the ground realities negated this belief.

“One election [in the province] needs from Rs100 million to Rs200 million,” he added.

Bizenjo maintained that it was imperative for the province’s lawmakers to give importance to the voters. The CM also spoke about the recent local government elections held in the province.

He claimed that nobody had complained about rigging in the LG polls in Balochistan, despite the province’s limited resources.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2023.