Mengal assails tug of war for Balochistan ministries

QUETTA: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) president Akhtar Jan Mengal has said that differences emerging in the coalition government on the distribution of ministries show that it may not complete its five-year term and may collapse within five months.

Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by Mir Iqbal Mirwani in Winder on Sunday, he said that partners in the coalition of six parties were in the race for ministries.

Criticising political rifts among the coalition partners, particularly the Balochistan Awami Party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Mr Mengal said the distribution of ministries was under way but if the situation did not change there would be no government in Balochistan.

Talking about BNP-M’s six points presented to the PTI, he said his party had signed a memorandum of understanding with the PTI leadership and given it one year for resolving the issues faced by the province as they could not be resolved in three months.

He claimed that Balochistan’s development was his party’s main demand and its sincere implementation would turn the fate of the province and its people.

In reply to a question about a petition filed by Chief Minister Jam Kamal regarding the election on NA-272 (Gwadar-Lasbela), the BNP-M chief said the petitioner was trying to act like a judge but “we will wait for the ruling of the election tribunal”.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2018