Abdul Quddus Bizenjo to be elected Balochistan CM unopposed

• No candidates other than Bizenjo submit their nomination papers to contest for the new chief minister post.
• Five papers nominating Bizenjo were submitted in the assembly secretariat before the deadline ended.
• PM Imran Khan discusses Balochistan political situation with Senate chairman. 

QUETTA: Abdul Quddus Bizenjo will certainly be elected as the new chief minister of Balochistan as no other candidate has submitted nomination papers for the post.

The chief minister's seat was vacated after former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan stepped down from the post on Sunday.

Following his announcement, disgruntled members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and the Opposition, who had gathered at Bizenjo's residence, celebrated their triumph by flashing victory signs.

Following CM Khan's resignation, Bizenjo had also resigned from the post of Balochistan Assembly speaker.

While Bizenjo is likely to be elected unopposed, he will have to prove he has the support of the majority in the assembly, which amounts to 33 MPAs. 

The new chief minister is to be elected tomorrow (Friday) during a session of the provincial assembly. 

Before the deadline ended on Thursday evening, five papers nominating Bizenjo for the post of chief minister of Balochistan, were submitted in the assembly secretariat.

Sources said once the support of the majority of the assembly is established, the Balochistan governor will issue an official notification for his appointment. This will be followed by Bizenjo taking oath as the Balochistan chief minister.

PM Khan meets Senate chairman on Balochistan political situation

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan met Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani in Islamabad to discuss the political situation in Balochistan.

Sanjrani took the premier into confidence over his recent visit to Balochistan.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak was also present on the occasion.

BAP MPA Khetran submits Bizenjo's nomination papers

BAP MPA Abdur Rehman Khetran submitted Bizenjo's nomination papers in the assembly secretariat earlier in the day.

"It will be the first time in history that a Balochistan chief minister is elected uncontested," said Khetran while speaking to the media. 

He said that the next provincial government in Balochistan will have the support of all the members.

"The new chief minister will be accessible to everyone, everyone will get their due respect," said Khetran.

He went on to say that the issues in the constituencies will be resolved at the doorsteps of the people in the new government.

"We will resolve all the issues of the province at the first opportunity," he added.

Talking about former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan, Khetran said that "Kamal has been our chief minister and he is respectable for us."

He said that Kamal is and will be a part of BAP.

Provincial Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Sardar Muhammad Saleh Bhootani, who is also Bizenjo's seconder in the nomination papers, had agreed with Khetran's statement, saying that he doesn't think that anyone else would submit their nomination papers to contest for the chief minister's post.

Bhootani, in his media talk, said that their party remains the same and that they are united.

"Jam sahib is a great man. He ruined the province, so he should rest now," said Bhootani.

Commenting about Kamal's opposition to the party after being removed from the post of the chief minister, Bhootani said why would he [Kamal] sit with the Opposition in the assembly when his party is in government. 

Meanwhile, two female MPAs of BAP, Bushra Rind and Laila Tarin also nominated Bizenjo as their candidate for the chief minister's post.

Bushra is the proponent while Laila is the seconder for Bizenjo in the separate nomination papers submitted by the two in the assembly.

Later in the day, a BAP delegation led by Bizenjo and Senator Saeed Ahmed Hashmi visited Sarawan House to meet Nawab Aslam Raisani.

PTI Senator Abdul Qadir also attended the meeting.

Federal govt announces support for BAP's choice for CM's post

The federal government on Tuesday announced its support for any candidate the BAP named as the new chief minister of Balochistan.

Defence Minister Khattak at a press conference in Islamabad after a meeting with the Sanjrani, had announced the government's decision to support the BAP candidate.

“We will support the decision of the majority within the BAP,” Khattak said, when asked who the Centre would support as the new Balochistan chief minister.

While responding to another question about whether the federal government will support Bizenjo, who has been nominated by BAP, Khattak said that it is BAP that has to reach a decision regarding Bizenjo.

We will support the decision made by the parliamentary group of BAP, he said.

Bizenjo Opposition's choice

Meanwhile, the united Opposition on Monday decided to nominate Bizenjo as the new chief minister.

BAP interim president Zahoor Ahmed Buledi confirmed the development, shortly after Bizenjo resigned from his post as the speaker.

Buledi said that he would also consult other coalition parties over the selection of a new leader of the House.

On the other hand, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran said all the coalition parties have nominated Bizenjo as the next chief minister. He said that consultations are underway with the PTI for the formation of a government.

"We invite everyone to work together for the betterment of Balochistan," he said.

He further said that the last three years have passed and now they want to work together for the future of the province.

The chief minister's seat was vacated after former Balochistan CM Jam Kamal Khan stepped down from the post on Sunday.

Following his announcement, disgruntled members of the BAP and the Opposition, who had gathered at Balochistan Assembly speaker Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo's residence, celebrated their triumph by flashing a victory sign.

Following CM Khan's resignation, Bizenjo had also resigned from his post.