QUETTA, May 14: Provincial Minister Sher Jan Baloch has resigned, complaining that he was powerless and could not serve people in his district due to inefficiency of officials. Talking to Dawn from Pasni on Saturday, Mr Baloch confirmed that he had submitted his resignation to the Balochistan governor and said his decision had also been communicated to Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf, who was on a tour to Panjgur.

Sher Jan Baloch, an MPA from Gwadar district, was the minister in charge of the Gwadar Development Authority and archives.

He expressed concern over the arrest of Pasni Tehsil Nazim Syed Mayar Noori and five others by the Anti-Narcotics Force in a drugs case on Friday.

He said shopkeepers in Pasni observed strike on Friday and Saturday in protest against the arrest and about 2,500 people staged a sit-in.

He said he would court arrest with hundreds of people if the nazim and others arrested in the ‘false’ drug case were not freed.

Syed Noori is a nephew of Mr Baloch.