QUETTA: Independent member of the National Assembly from Gwadar-Lasbela Mohammad Aslam Bhootani has criticised nomination of former senator Javed Jabbar as a member of the National Finance Commission (NFC) representing the Balochistan government in the commission and said he would challenge the appointment in a court of law.

Talking to reporters here on Thursday, he expressed surprise over the appointment of Mr Jabbar by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani to represent the province. He said Mr Jabbar was not an expert on financial affairs.

“The chief minister did not find a single qualified person in 10.3 million population of Balochistan to plead Balochistan’s case in the NFC and protect interests of the province,” said Mr Bhootani, an ally of the PTI in the federal government.

He termed the appointment of Mr Jabbar an insult to the people of Balochistan and said that the former senator was an intellectual and good documentary maker, but he had no experience of dealing with financial matters to be discussed in the NFC for distribution of federal resources among the provinces.

“Mr Jabbar is not aware of Balochistan’s financial issues and ground realities and because of this how could he be expected to plead the case of Balochistan in the NFC meeting?” asked Mr Bhootani.

He said that in the last NFC award meeting, a former secretary of finance of the province represented Balochistan as its member in the NFC and pleaded the case of the province very well.

Mr Bhootani said that his counsel Amanullah Kanrani, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, would file a petition in the court against the nomination of Mr Jabbar as a member of Balochistan in the NFC.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2020