QUETTA -Jan Muhammad Jamali took oath as Balochistan Assembly Speaker while Mir Abdul Qadoos Bezinjo as Deputy Speaker here on Tuesday.
The BA session started with former Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha in the chair. The voting for the slot of speaker and deputy speaker was scheduled in Tuesday’s meeting; however, Jan Muhammad Jamali and Abdul Qadoos Bezinjo were elected unopposed on Monday. After holding the office of speaker, Jamali administrated oath to newly-elected Deputy Speaker Mir Abdul Qadoos Bezinjo.
The elected members of the PML-N, Pashtunkhwah Milli Awami Party and JUI-F termed the election of speaker and deputy speaker unopposed a good omen for Balochistan. They hoped the newly-elected speaker and deputy speaker would run the government affairs in the line with rules and regulations.
Jan Muhammad Jamali belongs to the PML-N and Deputy Speaker Abdul Qadoos Bezinjo the PML-Q.
Abdul Qadoos Bezinjo is the only parliamentarian in the modern world who has been elected with minimum votes. He contested elections from district Awaran which is one of the main restive districts of Balochistan and secured only 544 votes in the May 11 polls.
Official sources said that holding of election was not possible in Awaran district owing to precarious law and order situation. The coalition government of the PML-N National Party and PKMAP helped Jan Muhammad Jamali and Abdul Qadoos Bezinjo win unopposed as the speaker and deputy speaker. Under the formula agreed between the coalition partners, the chief minister slot has been given to the NP and governorship to the PKMAP.
Almost all members made lengthy speeches while congratulating the newly-elected speaker and deputy speaker and hoped they would run the house in accordance with the parliamentary and democratic traditions. They said the government would utilise all its resources to curb the ongoing targeted killings, abduction for ransom and corruption.
Addressing on the occasion, PML-N leader Nawab Sanaullah Zehri hoped the members would run the house keeping in view the traditions and values of the province. He recalled the tragic incident that took place before the polls in which his relative and security guards lost their lives. He said he could not run election campaign; however he said he was grateful to the people who trusted and voted him into power. He congratulated Jan Jamali and said, “We’ll try our level best that Baloch, Pashtuns and Hazara settlers work together for the development of the province.”
JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Wasay said a big responsibility rests on the shoulders of the CM and speaker to take all the stakeholders on board. “The assembly is like a jirga in which Nawabs, Sardars and heads of other communities are present,” he said adding, “We are responsible to ensure implementation on all the decisions taken in the house.” The JUI-F leader regretted the Centre gave no importance to the resolutions passed by the Balochistan Assembly during previous governments. “The province is rich in mineral resources but the people have been left with not other option but to face severe poverty, as the provincial government in the past were not empowered to take decisions in the best interests of the masses.”
Nominated Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch hoped the speaker and deputy speaker would play their positive role to run the business, upholding dignity of the house. He said, “If we are really serious to perform better then we have to ensure our presence in the house.”
ANP leader Engineer Zamrak Khan said the house is respectable and all the elected members have to save its pride. He said Baloch and Pashtun should jointly raise their voice pressing the federal government address their issues.
Other members including Syed Raza, Karim Nosharwani, Rahila Durrani, Yasmin Lehri, Shahida Rauf, Dr Hamid Achakzai, Khalid Langove, Nasrullah Zeray and Abdul Rehman Kathran also attended the session.