QUETTA: Political crisis in Balochistan has become serious after the tabling of no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani by the angry group of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) members in the provincial assembly, ‘disappearance’ of four MPAs and appointment of Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi as parliamentary leader of BAP in the house.

A statement issued by the Balochistan Assembly secretary here on Thursday said Mr Buledi had been appointed new parliamentary leader of the BAP on the request of 12 members of the party, replacing Mr Alyani.

It further said, “BAP’s 12 members have submitted a written application to the assembly secretariat in which they requested to change the parliamentary leader of the party in the house.”

The party’s core committee had already appointed Mr Buledi acting president of the BAP after Mr Alyani announced his resignation from the office. However, later he denied that he had resigned as president of the BAP.

However, the chief minister has challenged the application of the 12 members of the BAP and requested Speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo to verify the signatures of the MPAs who have submitted the application for the change of parliamentary leader of BAP in the house.

In a written application he had signed as president and parliamentary leader of the BAP, Mr Alyani suspected some signatures were fake.

In his application, which was submitted to the assembly secretary Tahir Shah Kakar by provincial Home Minister Ziaullah Langove and Senators Agha Omer Ahmedzai, Danesh Kumar and Amir Mohammad Tareen, Mr Alyani said he had been elected president and parliamentary leader of the BAP and leader of house in the Balochistan Assembly. He said the angry MPAs had filed their application without the permission of the party president.

He said if signatures of the MPAs were found fake the government would take the matter seriously and implement the law.

The chief minister said the application of the angry members had no legal status.

He said the government took notice of complaints about ‘disappearance’ of citizens made through fake accounts on Twitter. “How can’t the government take action over the disappearance of a member of the assembly? We will take action if any request comes from the families of allegedly missing MPAs.”

He said the BAP leadership was in touch with the angry members from day one and they did not have any grievances which could not be addressed. “I hope our friends and we will try to understand each other.”

The chief minister said Bushra Rind, one of those members who did attend the assembly session on Wednesday, had tweeted that she had gone to Islamabad for medical treatment. “Everyone has a private life and engagements and the MPAs have the right to attend an assembly session or not,” Mr Alyani said.

Some members claimed in the house that the absent MPAs had been tortured, he said adding that if any member had evidence about torturing any MPA, the government would take action against the people responsible for it. However, he said hurling such allegations without proof was a criminal act.

Meanwhile, after Lala Rasheed joined the assembly session and announced his support for no-trust motion against the CM, two other PMAs of the angry group -- Bushra Rind and Mahjabeen Sheran -- who had not attended assembly session on Wednesday, have surfaced through Twitter. “I am in Islamabad for my treatment,” Ms Rind said in her tweet while Ms Sheran said, “I am fine and could not attend the assembly session the other day due to some personal matter.”

“Our political matters are under negotiations and the decision would be in favour of Balochistan and Its people,” Ms Sheran added.

Two other members — Akbar Askani and Laila Tareen — have not come into contact with their angry group so far.

On the other hand, MPAs belonging to the angry BAP group and opposition parties have shifted to the residence of Speaker Qudoos Bizenjo due to the fear that the government might “arrest” them or take any other action against them.

Zahoor Buledi and leader of the opposition in the Balochistan Assembly Malik Sikander expressed such apprehensions.

“We have taken refuge in the residence of the speaker in view of the prevailing situation and disappearance of over four MPAs,” Mr Buledi said, adding that they would stay there till October 25, the day of voting on the no-trust motion.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2021