February 22, 2008	Friday	Safar 14, 1429

QUETTA, Feb 21: The Pakistan Muslim League-Q, despite having emerged as the largest parliamentary group with 17 seats in last week’s elections, is facing hurdles in mustering the required support for forming a coalition government in Balochistan.

The PML-Q, the PPP and other parliamentary groups which have reached the assembly have started efforts to form a new coalition government but the PML-Q suffered a setback in the initial stage when its majority was reduced to 15 on Thursday when one of its candidates, Ata-ur-Rehman Mengal lost in a vote-recount and Malik Mohammad Sarwar Kakar, who had been elected MPA from Pishin died after a heart attack.

Knowledgeable sources saying that a forward bloc is in the offing in the PML-Q in view of the PPP’s majority in the National Assembly and the PPP provincial leadership has also started establishing contact with other parliamentary groups and independent members.

“At least six MPAs of the PML-Q have assured to support the PPP in the formation of new government in Balochistan,” the sources claimed. They said that Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani would be the candidate of the PPP for the top slot in the province.

Former chief minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf is also making efforts to regain the top slot but he is facing opposition within the party as a large group is supporting another former chief minister Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi.

Muslim Leaguer Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, who was elected from Lasbela, had opposed the PML-Q policies in the past, and indicated his intention of forming a forward bloc in the party.

“If the PML-Q central leadership tries to impose its candidate for the top slot in the province without consulting the elected party members, I will be the first to resist such a move,” Mr. Bhootani told Dawn. He said that formation of forward bloc could not be ruled out.

He said that Balochistan had already suffered a lot and ‘’now we want a government in the province to run its affairs in a cooperation with the new government in Islamabad.’’

The PPP has seven seats and the 12 independents and two ANP candidates may join a coalition led by it. The PPP claims that six MPAs from PML-Q may join the PPP. That will take the number of MPAs backing a PPP-led coalition to 27.

However, if 15 members of the PML-Q remain in their party and if the party maintains its alliance with the JUI (F) (seven MPAs) and BNP-A (five members) it can form the government.