QUETTA: Differences emerged in the Balochistan ruling coalition on Wednesday over the tabling of a resolution by members of the PML-N who walked out of the house when the chief minister and PkMAP members opposed their move.

During a session of the Balochistan Assembly, presided over by Speaker Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali, PML-N’s Prince Ahmed Ali wanted to table a resolution that would have asked the election commission to unseat the party’s minority member Santosh Kumar for violating the PML-N’s organizational discipline.

However, Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, who belongs to the National Party, opposed the resolution.

He said the matter was serious and should be viewed in light of the Constitution and law. This angered Senior Minister and PML-N’s provincial president Nawab Sanaullah Zehri who along with other lawmakers of the party staged a walkout.

Mr Zehri said that the chief minister was interfering in the internal affairs of the PML-N.

He said the party had already written to the election commission to declare Mr Kumar’s seat vacant and the resolution was being moved in that background. He said the house should have endorsed the resolution.

Legislators of the National Party and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party criticised the speaker for allowing the mover to table the resolution and said that the chair should have discussed the matter in his chamber with the parliamentary leaders concerned.

Speaker Jamali then asked the lawmakers of NP and PkMAP to discuss the matter with the PML-N’s members.

An adjournment motion tabled by Leader of Opposition Maulana Abdul Wasay on Congo virus cases in Zhob and Qila Saifullah districts was admitted for debate to be held on August 23.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2014