QUETTA, June 8: Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, chief of the National Party (NP), was elected unopposed as the chief minister of Balochistan on Saturday.
Dr Baloch was the joint candidate of three parties — the NP, PML-N and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party — but after the support extended to him by the JUI-Fazl he became a consensus candidate of all parties in the Balochistan Assembly.
Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif had nominated him for the post after meeting leaders of allied parties in Murree last week.
Dr Malik was the only one to have filed his nomination papers in the assembly secretariat for the chief minister’s election.
Although Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran of the JUI-F had collected nomination forms, he did not file it, apparently after an understanding between Dr Baloch and Maulana Abdul Wasey, the party’s parliamentary leader. Dr Baloch had met the Maulana at his home.
“Dr Baloch is our joint candidate to head the next provincial government,” Maulana Wasey said after the meeting.
Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali declared after 2pm that Dr Baloch had been elected unopposed.
His candidature was proposed by Nawab Mohammad Khan Shahwani and seconded by Rehmat Baloch of the National Party.
Dr Baloch will take oath of his office at 6pm on Sunday at the Governor House.
Talking to reporters, Dr Baloch said his coalition government would adopt all possible measures for improving law and order and providing basic facilities to the people of the province.
“I am very thankful to all political parties who have nominated me for the office of chief minister.” He said he would take along all parties in running the affairs of the province.
“I will play my role for taking the province out of the morass. MY government will give priority to addressing the issues of missing persons, dumping of mutilated bodies and targeted killings.” The incoming chief minister told journalists the prime minister had assured him of help and cooperation for solving the problems and he was “serious to resolve the Balochistan tangle”.
About negotiations with estranged Baloch leaders, the NP chief said a strategy had been worked out for resolution of the problem with the help of coalition partners and other parties in the assembly. “It is my desire to see pen and book in the hands of our youth instead of weapons,” he said, adding that restoring law and order would be his top priority.
Dr Baloch said his government would seek the services of experts for preparing the budget.