June 2, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1427

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QUETTA, June 1: The Balochistan Assembly could not hold its session on Thursday because of lack of quorum and opposition parties demanded resignation of the provincial government saying it had failed to solve problems of the people.

Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar adjourned the session till Saturday because only four members from the treasury and nine from the opposition were in the house, whereas 17 members are required for quorum.

Opposition legislators held a press conference in the chamber of the leader of the opposition and accused the Pakistan Muslim League and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal of avoiding the session. The leader of the opposition, Mr Kachkol Ali, alleged that MMA members were boycotting the session at the behest of an agency.

He said the real conflict was between two main intelligence agencies, one supporting the PML and the other the MMA.

He said the parties in the ruling coalition would remain at loggerheads till the two agencies resolved their differences.

He blamed the coalition partners were responsible for the uncertain situation in the province and said the government should resign.

He said the opposition was closely watching the situation and the political parties in the assembly would take a decision if the rift between the PML and MMA became serious.

He demanded that the Baloch leadership should be taken into confidence on the Iran gas pipeline. He said unilateral decisions would not be accepted by the Baloch people.

The Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s parliamentary party leader Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal said the PML and the MMA were abstaining from the assembly session to avoid accountability. He said the province faced a financial crisis and serious differences with the federation but the coalition partners were not interested in debating the issues in the house.

He said that Thursday was private members’ day and opposition members had tabled resolutions pertaining to important issues but members of the ruling parties did not attend the session to sabotage the resolutions.