QUETTA: The PML-N has nominated Sardar Sanaullah Zehri for the chief ministership of Balochistan after it became the largest party in the provincial assembly with the joining of two MPAs-elect.

Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti, an independent candidate elected from Dera Bugti, announced his decision to join the PML-N and MPA-elect Syed Mohammad Raza of the Majlis-i-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen announced his party’s support for the N-League at separate press conferences here on Wednesday evening. They were accompanied by Sanaullah Zehri, provincial president of the PML-N, and senior leader retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch.

Sardar Zehri said the party had nominated him for the chief ministership and set up a five-member committee, comprising Gen Qadir Baloch, Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar, Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, Jamal Shah and Nasibullah Bazai, to hold talks with other parties on the formation of a coalition government in Balochistan.

After the joining of Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, the PML-N has become the largest party with 10 seats in the 65-member Balochistan Assembly, followed by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party with nine, National Party (seven), JUI-F (six), PML-Q (four), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (two) and BNP-Awami, Awami National Party, Jamoot Qaumi Movement and Majlis-i-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen one each. There are eight independent members.

Sardar Zehri said he would try to form a stable government which could resolve the problems being faced by the people of this backward province. He said he believed in a strong opposition so that it could point out mistakes of the government and suggest measures for good governance.

The province had badly suffered in the absence of an opposition in the previous assembly. All members of different parties were in the government and they supported its every move whether wrong or right, leading to bad governance.

No one even asked the then chief minister about his absence from the province, said Sardar Zehri, who was minister for services and general administration in the cabinet of Nawab Aslam Raisani.

He said the top priority of the PML-N government would be to restore peace and order in Balochistan. “There was no writ of the pervious government which was responsible for the deteriorating law and order in the province,” he said, adding that without restoring peace no development work could be launched in the province.

He said Punjab was ahead of Balochistan in development because of better law and order. “People from all over the country and even many Baloch families have shifted to Punjab because of peace and order there.”

Sardar Zehri said his government would launch development projects and people would be provided basic facilities like heath, education and drinking water.

In reply to a question, he said he would make all efforts to persuade “angry Baloch brothers” to join the mainstream for resolution of all issues being faced by Balochistan. All stakeholders would be taken on board to resolve the issue of displaced people of Dera Bugti.

Gen Qadir Baloch said a number of independent MPAs had contacted the PML-N leadership for joining the party. He said the PML-N had nominated Sardar Zehri because he and his family had rendered sacrifices for democracy in Balochistan.