Balochistan: Nawaz in catch-22 situation
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LAHORE: While the PML-Q put its weight behind the National Party’s candidate Dr Abdul Malik, the PML-N leadership failed on Thursday to resolve differences among contenders for the post of Balochistan chief minister.
After a four-hour meeting with the leaders of various parties and MPAs-elect from Balochistan belonging to the PML-N, NP and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif could not pick one from among the three contenders — Dr Malik of the NP and Sardar Sanaullah Zehri and Nawabzada Changez Marri of the PML-N.
The NP and PkMAP have 18 members in the provincial assembly, while the PML-N has 14 seats and PML-Q five.
According to sources, the three aspirants could not be persuaded by Mr Sharif on Thursday to agree on one among themselves, the discussion will continue on Friday.
Since the Balochistan Assembly’s first session is due on Saturday, Mr Sharif will have to resolve the impasse by then.
“Mr Sharif does not want to annoy any of them. Since the aspirants are ‘Sardars’ of Balochistan the PML-N chief is not interested in imposing his decision,” PML-N sources said.
They said PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had asked the five members of his party to support the NP.
Dr Malik and NP Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo met Chaudhry Shujaat and discussed the situation in the province.
“The support of the PML-Q may put Dr Malik out of the race because the Sharifs’ do not want to see the Chaudhrys of Gujrat playing any role in Balochsitan politics,” the sources said. However, Mr Zehri is reported to have claimed to have the support of PML-Q legislators.
The sources said Mr Zehri was not showing any flexibility because the Sharif brothers had earlier given him the assurance for the coveted post.
Hasil Bizenjo told reporters after the meeting that there was no deadlock on the matter.
“We have authorised Nawaz Sharif to appoint anyone as chief minister. We will have no objection,” he said.
Mr Zehri denied reports that a forward bloc would emerge if Mr Sharif did not make him the chief minister. “The PML-N, NP and PkMAP can make the government without any differences,” he told reporters.
PML-N leaders Chaudhry Nisar, Khawaja Asif, Asim Kurd and Abdul Qadir Baloch also took part in the discussions.
