QUETTA: Newly elected Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo met Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) president Akhtar Jan Mengal on Sunday and assured the latter that he would take opposition parties on board on important issues facing the province.

Accompanied by former chief minister Jan Mohammad Jamali, Mr Bizenjo went to the residence of Mr Mengal and thanked him for supporting the no-trust motion against then CM Sanaullah Zehri and voting in his favour in Saturday’s election for the new leader of the house.

The two leaders discussed different issues and exchanged views on the current political situation.

Senior BNP-M leaders, including its senior vice president Malik Abdul Wali Kakar, MPA Mir Hammal Kalmati, Sajid Tareen and Akhtar Hussain Langove, were present during the meeting.

“It is my desire to take the opposition on board on all important issues and will seek their support for speedy economic development of Balochistan,” Chief Minister Bizenjo said after the meeting.

He again rejected a perception that the change in Balochistan would pave the way for dissolution of the provincial assembly and said it would complete its constitutional term.

Akhtar Mengal congratulated the chief minister on his election as chief executive of the province and assured that his party would cooperate with his government. He expressed the hope that Mr Bizenjo would not repeat the mistakes committed by the previous government which led to the no-trust motion.

Mr Mengal said that over the past four-and-a-half years, the provincial government had not released a single penny for development in his constituency. He expressed the hope that such discriminatory attitude would not be adopted by the new government and it would work for resolving the issues being faced by the people of Balochistan.

Chief Minister Bizenjo also visited the residence of independent MPA Tariq Hussain Magsi and thanked the latter for supporting him. They also exchanged views on political issues.

Talking to a delegation from his home district Awaran, led by Mir Naseer Bizenjo, Chairman of the District Council, Awaran, the chief minister said he was fully aware of the problems of the residents of the area and would try to solve them on a priority basis.

Balochistan Bus Federation president Jumma Khan Badini also met the chief minister and congratulated him.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2018