PM summons Raisani, Balochistan PPP MPAs as party rift perists

QUETTA: The supreme court’s interim order to effectively put the elected Balochistan government in abeyance has sent the Balochistan chapter of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) into turmoil, so much so that the Prime Minister, who undertook his first visit to the province last weekend after being elected in June, has had to sit up and take notice.

First, a district chapter of the party suspended Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani’s membership in the immediate aftermath of the apex court’s orders. Then on Tuesday, the PPP provincial chapter mirrored that move by expressing no-confidence in Raisani and his provincial cabinet and termed the Balochistan assembly unconstitutional just hours before it met.
On Wednesday, Raja Pervez Ashraf took note of the party turmoil and has summoned Chief Minister Raisani along with all the PPP members of Balochistan Assembly, to Islamabad to discuss party matters.
Sources said that on the directions of Co-Chairman of the party President Asif Ali Zardari, Qayyum Somoro and Rukhsana Bangash will be arriving in Quetta shortly to preside over a high level meeting at the Governor House. They though are expected to focus on the current situation of Balochistan.
Assembly’s vote of confidence unconstitutional
Meanwhile, the provincial president PPP Balochistan Mir Saddiq Umrani while talking to the Express Tribune has said that the unanimous vote of confidence given to Chief Minister Balochistan in the provincial assembly on Tuesday has no constitutional status.
He further said that in the light of the interim order of the Supreme Court, Balochistan government has lost constitutional status and its ability to rule the province.
“People’s party will not be a party to the move of non-confidence against Speaker,” he maintained. He further said that Speaker Aslam Bhootani had adopted the constitutional way and sought the advice of the governor before calling the BA session. “We don’t want a politics of confrontation and have fought a long drawn battle for constitutional supremacy,” he, maintained.
Meanwhile, Raisani is currently in Quetta, the chief minister’s press secretary Kamran Asad confirmed.