Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Jam Kamal Khan said that he will not step down from his post ‘on the demand of 12 people’, a private TV channel reported Friday.
“I will continue my struggle and will not resign on the call of 12 people,” he said. Speaking about a rift within the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), the chief minister said that all members of the BAP and its allied parties are supporting him except for a few BAP men who have tendered their resignations to the Balochistan governor.
Jam Kamal said that some of his ‘companions’ have tried to remove him from the post of the chief minister before too, adding that he would not let this ‘void’ persist within the party. “We are trying that the ministers take their resignations back,” he said. “If they don’t take their resignations back, we would have to appoint new ministers.”
Earlier, disgruntled BAP lawmakers and its allies in the coalition government had on Wednesday decided to file a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani. The decision had come as a 24-hour ultimatum, given to Alyani by members of his own cabinet and other lawmakers to quit, ended on Wednesday. Addressing a press conference, Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Asad Baloch had said that the disgruntled lawmakers had met with the delegation sent by the chief minister which had asked for more time. “But we said that we have already given Jam Kamal three years, we can’t spare anymore time,” he said, adding that the disgruntled lawmakers had the support of almost 40 members of the provincial assembly. He said that they would wait 24 hours before submitting their resignations.
Balochistan government spokesperson Liaqat Shahwani had said that the chief minister had the support of provincial lawmakers and categorically stated that Alyani will not resign from office. Efforts to assuage the concerns of the disgruntled lawmakers would continue, he had said, adding that their concerns will be addressed.
Reports said five members of the Balochistan cabinet who were irked with Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal had decided to resign. A private TV channel reported that the provincial cabinet members, including three ministers and two advisors to the chief minister, had submitted their resignation letters to Balochistan Finance Minister Zahoor Buledi. Reports further stated that 11 members of the provincial assembly, including one each from Balochistan National Party (Awami) and PTI, had moved a no-confidence motion against CM Kamal.
Last week, Chief Minister Alyani, who was also president of the BAP, had resigned from the party office, after reportedly facing opposition from some ministers and lawmakers in the party who had demanded that he resign as the chief minister. According to the report, the disgruntled BAP members had taken the stance that they did not want to work with Alyani anymore.
