Balochistan Govt: Bhootani refuses to chair assembly session

Bhootani says will not preside over any session till provincial govt's constitutional status is determined.

QUETTA:

The Balochistan Assembly continued to be in the grip of a crisis  on Saturday when Muhammad Aslam Bhootani refused to preside over the provincial assembly session scheduled for December 3.

Talking to media, Bhootani said that he had taken a principled stance after the Supreme Court’s October 12 interim order on Balochistan. “Until the government of Balochistan’s constitutional status is determined, I will not preside over any session,” he said.

Earlier, the Balochistan Assembly held its session with the deputy speaker in the chair and the Supreme Court took no notice of the sessions endorsing the belief that it was perfectly legal.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2012.