QUETTA:
The Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) leader Mir Abdul Qaddos Bizenjo has been elected as the chief minister of Balochistan unopposed.
The development comes a day after PTI Parliamentary Leader Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind announced that he was pulling out of the race and backing Bizenjo for the chief minister’s slot, bringing an end to the political void in the province.
Besides Rind, no other candidate in the provincial assembly filed nomination papers to contest against Bizenjo.
After Jam Kamal Khan stepped down as the chief minister, BAP nominated Bizenjo for the top slot.
However, the PTIs’ parliamentary party in the province named Rind for the position.
Also read: Rind backs Bizenjo as Balochistan CM
On Prime Minister Imran Khan’s instructions, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak reached Quetta to resolve the matter.
Rind made the announcement while addressing a news conference at his residence accompanied by Bizenjo, who has recently resigned from post of the Balochistan Assembly speaker.
As per the rules, the Balochistan Assembly session meeting for the election of the leader of the house (chief minister) will be held on Friday (tomorrow) at 10am.
Subsequently, the oath-taking ceremony of the new chief minister will take place at the governor house in Quetta tomorrow at 4pm.
Designated CM Bizenjo said in a statement he wanted to work with other leaders of the province and added that he had even tried to contact former CM Jam Kamal.
Bizenjo said he would announce the future policy of his government in tomorrow’s assembly session.
