Balochistan Assembly: Raisani checkmates Bhootani with no-trust motion

Motion was tabled in assembly with 24 signatures; debate to take place on Dec 26.

QUETTA:

Balochistan Assembly legislators tabled a no-confidence motion against Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani on Wednesday.

Bhootani had refused to chair the provincial assembly session after the Supreme Court issued an interim on October 12 which stated that the Balochistan government had lost its constitutional authority.

The refusal had triggered a tussle between Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani and Bhootani, but it appeared on Wednesday that Raisani had finally gained a definitive upperhand – the chief minister convinced his coalition partners, including the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam, to sign the no-confidence motion.

With negotiations continuing till the last minute and the chief minister leaving the chambers thrice in efforts to muster support, the assembly session started two and a half hours late. Deputy Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha chaired the session in lieu of the absent Bhootani.

JUI leader and Health Minister Ainullah Shams tabled the no-trust motion against Bhootani. A total of 24 MPAs signed the motion. The chair approved it for debate in the session scheduled for December 26.

When two independent legislators, Zahoor Buledai and Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, tried to speak on the motion, they were drowned out by other members thumping their desks – the frustrated MPAs then staged a walkout from the session.

Talking to reporters outside the provincial assembly’s chambers, a triumphant Chief Minister Raisani said that they had taken the independent lawmakers on board over the no-trust motion against Bhootani and they should have supported it. “Aslam Bizenjo had said that he would not vote with us on the no-trust motion against Bhootani, but he would cast his vote for electing a new speaker,” he added.

Bizenjo, however, said that he had strongly opposed the motion but had not been allowed to speak.  “Though the number of members who approved the no-confidence motion were in a majority and can oust Bhootani, the way they chose is absolutely wrong and we were not taken on board,” he added.

Buledai said that such a motion had never been moved against a speaker in the history of the Balochistan Assembly – but now, with only a few months left to go for the incumbent provincial legislature, it should have run with the same speaker instead of humiliating him.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Deputy Parliamentary leader and provincial minister Ali Madad Jattak claimed that they had the support of 58 MPAs for the no-confidence motion, adding that a new speaker will be elected with the consensus of all members.

NAB under fire

Earlier, speaking on a point of order, Provincial Agriculture Minister and leader of the Balochistan National Party (Awami) Asad Baloch strongly criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and said that after the 18th Amendment it had been merely ‘claimed’ that the provinces had become autonomous.

The criticism from Baloch followed an inquiry initiated by the accountability watchdog against the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) Chairman. He was accused of recruiting people to grade 16-18 posts for huge bribes.

The BNP-A leader said that NAB was a federal institution and its officials were interfering in a provincial matter by seeking records from the chief secretary.

Reko Diq case

After an international tribunal provided a verdict in favour of Balochistan in the Reko Diq case, Bizenjo said that a conference should be convened and that politicians, engineers and lawyers should debate on Reko Diq and whether the provincial government could run the project or not.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2012.