No-confidence motion: 33 out of 65 vote against Balochistan CM

QUETTA: A no-confidence motion against Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan was tabled in the Balochistan Assembly, Geo News reported on Wednesday. According to sources, the voting on the motion is expected on 25th.

According to the report, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) spokesperson Abdul Rehman Khetran presented the no-confidence motion before the assembly. Of the 65 lawmakers present during the session, 33 backed the vote of no confidence against Jam Kamal. Addressing the session, Khetran demanded the release of the five missing lawmakers with immediate effect and said that the assembly has lost its confidence in Jam Kamal.

"We demand Jam Kamal immediately step down from the post of the chief minister," Khetran said. "Due to his poor governance, the province had to witness hopelessness, disrepute, and unemployment, while the performance of different departments was also adversely affected."

Khetran further said that Chief Minister Jam Kamal, assuming that he is the wisest of all, had been taking all decisions related to the province on his own. "Running important matters without consultation has caused irreparable damage to the province," Khetaran maintained, adding that owing to that, the assembly members demand Jam Kamal step down from his post.

Leader of the Opposition in Balochistan Assembly Malik Sikandar Advocate, while expressing his views, said that the post of the chief executive is very important as it requires the incumbent to work tirelessly for the welfare of the people.

"The chief executive is also required to solve the problems of the masses while being on the frontline," Sikandar said, adding that the incumbent is also expected to protect the national exchequer.

"The incumbent must also be able to utilise the national exchequer for the welfare of the masses as per a sound strategy. The responsibility of protecting the constitutional and legal rights of the people is also included in the duties of the chief executive," Sikandar said.

The leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly went on to say that the situation related to Sui gas in the province is suspicious because gas supply to the colder regions of the province is deliberately cut off.

"When the chief executive does not pay attention to such important issues, how will the people trust him?" Sikandar questioned. The law and order situation in the province is such that no one's life, property, or honour is safe, Sikandar said, adding that people end up displaying the dead bodies of their loved ones outside the house of the chief executive to compel him to take action.

"There is no justice in the province and the use of resources is not carried out in a responsible manner. Therefore, Jam Kamal has no right to continue as the chief minister of the province," Sikandar concluded his speech by saying.

After Sikandar, Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Sanaullah Baloch expressed his views on the no-confidence motion and said that under the rule of CM Jam Kamal, "major corruption has taken place in Quetta Development Package as well as the fisheries sector."

"Insurgency was supposed to be reduced in Balochistan but the opposite happened and it saw a surge," Baloch said, adding that the charge sheet against Jam Kamal is "very long." "Water, roads and education projects in the province have been dedicated to Kamal's favourite people," Baloch said. "In my constituency, for instance, not a single project related to education was initiated."

"You have brought Balochistan on the verge of destruction but while you were in power, you did not employ efforts to make a place in the hearts of the people," Baloch said. "A person who does not reconcile with his own party members, how can we expect him to reconcile with disgruntled ones?" he said. "It is not the mistrust of the Opposition against Jam Kamal, but it is the mistrust of the people towards him."

"As a brother, I am advising you to resign from your post," Baloch said. Akhtar Hussain Langove, member of the Balochistan Assembly and leader of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), also criticised CM Jam Kamal and said: "Had there been any humanity left in Jam Kamal, he wouldn't have left the bodies of children in Quetta to go and attend a jeep rally there.