Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisani addresses a session of the provincial assembly presided by Acting Speaker Matiullah Agha in Quetta on Tuesday. – Photo by Online

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly session, which has been tainted with controversy, ended with its members reposing confidence in the provincial chief minister, Nawab Aslam Raisani, DawnNews reported on Tuesday.

Forty six of the 65-member assembly voted in favour of the chief minister when a resolution was tabled by Balochistan National Party (BNP) leader Syed Ehsan Shah, seeking vote of confidence on the leadership of Raisani.

Speaking to media representatives after the session, the chief minister thanked the MPAs who voted in his favour and condemned those who hatched the ‘conspiracy’ against an elected government.

The session commenced with Acting Speaker Matiullah Agha in chair and was attended by 46 out of total 65 members.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) provincial president and minister Mir Sadiq Umrani and opposition members were not present during the session.

The chief minister had been facing opposition within his own party since the Supreme Court, during its interim ruling in the Balochistan law and order case, had observed that the provincial government had lost its constitutional authority.

The beleaguered chief minister has been in the center of a crisis which was triggered by a decision of the PPP Balochistan chapter to suspend his basic membership on charges of corruption and failing to deliver as the chief executive of the restive province.

The decision was taken by Rafiq Sajjad, PPP’s Kalat division president, and supported by Umrani.

Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani had also turned down a request of the chief minister to call a session of the Balochistan Assembly earlier this month.

He not only refused to summon the session but also asked the provincial governor to determine the legal status of the Raisani government after the Supreme Court’s interim order.

Raisani further received a blow on Monday when the acting governor first recalled a notification for holding Tuesday’s session before reverting the decision.

Moreover the Balochistan chapter of the PPP, earlier on Tuesday, declared that in wake of the apex court’s order issued on October 12, the Raisani government was unconstitutional.

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