The disgruntled members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and the opposition table a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani in provincial assembly in Quetta. The no-confidence motion, tabled by Food Minister Abdul Rehman Khetran, received the backing of 33 members out of the 65, which coincides with the minimum requirement to pass the motion in the assembly.
The constitution stipulates that a no-confidence motion must have at least a 20 percent backing of the members of the legislative body to be put up for discussion and half the members must support it in order for it to be passed.
Reading from the motion, Khetran said that the performance of the government institutions has been negatively affected during Alyani’s three-year tenure and unemployment had also risen. He said that the chief minister had dealt with important provincial matters without any consultation of the fellow party members which has caused “irreparable damage.” He said that the legislators had tried to inform the chief minister of the consequences, but he did not pay heed.
He said that since Alyani’s swearing-in, people throughout Balochistan have protested against his “bad governance.” In view of these issues, he said, Alyani should be removed from the government. Khetran, calling himself a “well-wisher” of Alyani, asked him to gracefully step down. He also demanded the release of the five missing parliamentarians.
In his speech, opposition leader Malik Sikandar Khan outlined the responsibilities of the chief minister, saying that he is supposed to work tirelessly for the welfare of the people. “The responsibilities also include reassuring the people that he is at the frontline in tackling the issues they are facing”, he said. He said that the chief minister is supposed to put an end to corruption and use the provincial funds on the people of the province.
“When the chief executive will not pay attention to this or the people dying due to the cold, then how will people trust the leadership?” he asked
He said that peoples’ lives are not safe during Alyani’s leadership – they had to bring dead bodies of their loved ones in front of governor house in Quetta to draw government’s attention.
Later, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo fixed October 25 (Monday) for voting on the no-confidence motion. The vote will be carried out at 11 am.
Speaking before today’s session, the chief minister said that the no-confidence motion will be tabled today and the speaker of the assembly will fix a date for a vote on the motion. The assembly rules say that the speaker must fix a date between three and seven days after the motion has been tabled.
Maintaining a composure, Alyani said that the voting will “reveal the reality.” “I have been saying from day one that our allies will stand with us”, he said.
He also questioned how treasury lawmakers could table a motion against him? “It would [make more sense] if the no-confidence motion came from the opposition,” he said, adding that the opposition was trying to spread “disunity” among the treasury lawmakers.