LAHORE - As the PML-N leadership is facing the uphill task of choosing the next Balochistan chief minister, another round of talks held at Raiwind on Thursday to evolve consensus over one name ended without any outcome.
“The deadlock persists on the issue, as the PML-N is still struggling to get the Baloch factions to come to a consensus over one name,” an insider told The Nation after the meeting which was attended by 27 legislators from Balochistan Assembly besides senior PML-N leaders.
Three candidates - Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Nawab Jungraiz Marri and Dr Abdul Maalik are in the race to head the Balochistan government. The first two belong to the PML-N while the third is the joint candidate of National Party and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. Both these parties have 25 members in a House of 65, but they are also having the support of PML-Q which has five members. The PML-N, which is going to lead the provincial government, has 18 followed by eight of JUI-F.
Hasil Bizenjo of NP met Ch Shujaat the other day at Lahore and the latter assured his party’s support for Dr Abdul Maalik.
Nawaz Sharif had first nominated provincial head of the PML-N, Sanaullah Zehri for the slot, but the PKMAP and NP, the two allied parties of the PML-N, presented the name of Dr Maalik for the coveted slot.
The next round of negotiations would be held today to evolve consensus over one name.
The problem is that the new chief minister has to be a consensus candidate; because not even two parties together can get their candidate elected. The people of Balochistan have always given split mandate and the province never had a single party that represented the majority. The provincial government there had always been a weak coalition of several parties.
Dr Maalik, though not a tribal chief, is a Baloch leader who is equally acceptable to Balochs, Pakhtuns and Hazaras. His other plus point is that he is not a separatist.
The PML-N leadership is really in a fix at the moment as the election for Balochistan CM is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Saturday). If it decides in favour of its nominee Sanaullah Zehri, the nationalist parties having majority in the Assembly would resent the decision. But if the decision is in favour of the nationalist parties, there is likelihood of a split within the PML-N in Balochistan Assembly.
 Sources in the PML-N told this scribe that Nawaz Sharif was in favour of nominating Dr Maalik as the new chief minister, but he was facing tremendous pressure from his party’s provincial chapter which wanted a PML-N man as the new chief executive.
Earlier, talking to the media in Lahore, NP leader Hasil Bizenjo said his party had authorised Nawaz Sharif to nominate a person of his choice. He, however, said his party wanted a Baloch nationalist to head the province.
Zehri said he would accept leadership’s decision. He also denied reports that he intended to form forward bloc if denied the opportunity to become the chief minister. The three coalition partners (PML-N, PKMAP and NP) would work in cohesion, he added.