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| June 24, 2005 | Friday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1426 |
Bhootani quits as deputy speaker: Kakar denies allegations
QUETTA, June 23: The Deputy Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, has resigned from his office on the grounds of what he called serious differences with Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar. He submitted his three-page resignation to the speaker after announcing his decision in a press conference in his chamber on Thursday.
Giving the reason of his resignation, he alleged that the speaker committed serious irregularities in filling of 72 new posts in the assembly. He (the speaker) recruited around 50 people from his own constituency which is a flagrant manifestation of nepotism and favouritism, Mr Bhootani said and added that this act of the speaker closed doors of employment to the educated youths of the other areas of the province who seek jobs on meritorious grounds.
He said that another reason that forced him to quit the office was that the speaker got approval for purchase of a luxury vehicle for his personal use from the finance committee of the assembly which is headed by the speaker himself. He said that purchase of such a luxury vehicle was a big burden on the public exchequer because the people of the province do not have access even to basic necessities of life.
He said some employees of the assembly brought in his knowledge that injustice was also committed in promotions that created sense of deprivation among the assembly employees.
Mr Bhootani said that during last two and half years the speaker availed all invitations of foreign tours and none was assigned to the deputy speaker. “The speaker did not consult me, nor he ever sought my cooperation in running the affairs of the Balochistan assembly,” he alleged.
He said if his resignation was not accepted he would pursue the matter in a court of law.
Replying to a question, he said that the matter of his resignation was in no way linked to the protest of the PML’s angry group. He said that he had confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf and would fully support passage of the next year’s budget. In response to another question, he said that he would fully support PML candidate for the vacant post of deputy Speaker.
SPEAKER DEFENDS HIMSELF: Speaker Balochistan Assembly Jamal Shah Kakar has said that he has discussed the resignation of Deputy Speaker Mir Aslam Bhootani with Chief Minister Jam Muhammad Yousuf and a decision in this regard would be taken in a couple of days.
While talking to Dawn on Thursday, the speaker contradicted the charges levelled against him by Mr Bhootani, saying all appointments in the Assembly secretariat were made according to rules and regulations and after duly fulfilling all the legal formalities.
He said after receiving the resignation he contacted Chief Minister Jam Yousuf who told him that the resignation should be kept pending for two days so that he could discuss the matter with Mir Bhootani.
The speaker said no doubt Aslam Bhootani was a good gentleman and during the last 30 months he enjoyed cordial working relations with the deputy speaker. He said during this period Mr Aslam never made a complaint to him on official matters.
He said behaviour of the deputy speaker changed all of sudden because last month Mr Bhootani had supported a resolution tabled by opposition members which urged the federal government to give the speaker pride of performance medal.
“If I had committed any mistake in appointments made during past several months than the deputy speaker should have pinpointed the same on the floor of house when members from both sides unanimously approved resolution lauding my honest service”, he remarked.
Mr Shah claimed that Mr Bhootani had demanded of him to purchase luxurious vehicles for speaker, deputy speaker and secretary of the assembly but he refused and that refusal might have hurt the deputy speaker.
Responding to a question regarding Mr Bhootani’s complaint that t he speaker’s behaviour was improper, Jamal Shah said that the deputy speaker made such complaint neither to him nor to the chief minister or the governor.
Mr Shah asserted that the coalition government comprising different parliamentary groups was being run through mutual understanding and if a member or a party had any complaint the same was addressed to internally but MR Bhootani opted for a different way.
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