QUETTA: In an effort to defuse a crisis threatening his coalition government, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch held a meeting with the PML-N’s parliamentary party leader in the provincial assembly, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, on Monday and discussed with him grievances of provincial ministers of his party.

Sardar Zehri, who is a senior minister in the cabinet, had said on Sunday that PML-N ministers had serious complaints against the government because they were being ignored by the chief minister and not being treated as a coalition partner.

The chief minister drove to the official residence of Sardar Zehri and tried to allay his reservations in the hour-long meeting.

According to PML-N sources, Sardar Zehri told the chief minister that the ministers belonging to his party had handed over their resignation to him in protest against what they perceived as discriminatory treatment meted out to them.

The sources said that Dr Baloch assured Sardar Zahri that he would look into the ministers’ complaints. The issue would be resolved with mutual understanding.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the chief minister said such issues cropped up in politics but the leadership of the coalition parties was mature enough to resolve them.

“We faced such difficulties in the past as well but overcame them,” the chief minister said.

Answering a question, he said that usually opposition tried to send a government home and coalition partners foiled such attempts.

He said that Balochistan was facing a difficult situation and the government was trying to take the province out of turmoil.

When asked who would become the mayor of Quetta, he said that a decision would be taken by the coalition partners. But, he added, his National Party had supported the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party in the local bodies’ elections in the city.