Party Split?: Raisani loses trust of PPP Balochistan

Umrani is of the view that the provincial cabinet would soon learn a dreadful lesson.

QUETTA:

There seems to be a split within the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Balochistan chapter.

While provincial office-bearers of the party’s Balochistan chapter declared the Balochistan Assembly unconstitutional on Tuesday, at least 10 members of the party took part in an assembly session that reposed trust in Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani.

“Upholding” the Supreme Court interim order dated October 12, PPP’s Balochistan chapter expressed no-confidence in the leadership of Raisani and his cabinet during a meeting of councillors on Tuesday chaired by PPP Balochistan president Mir Saddiq Umrani.

It also called for another session of the assembly to elect a new chief minister.

Addressing the provincial councillors, Umrani declared the provincial government unconstitutional after the Supreme Court’s interim order on the law and order case of Balochistan and said that it had lost the confidence of the masses. He said that the Supreme Court had declared Balochistan’s government unconstitutional under Article 148(3) of the Constitution, and, therefore, PPP demands the provincial government to call a fresh session of the Balochistan Assembly to elect a new leader of the house.

Various resolutions were adopted during the convention which, among others, included a vote of no confidence in the provincial government.

Umrani was of the view that the provincial cabinet would soon learn a dreadful lesson. The resolution was passed with accusations that the provincial chief minister was resorting to “revengeful acts” in the districts of Naseerabad and Jafferabad.


Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2012.