LAHORE: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seems to be upset over losing its government in Balochistan and has expressed doubts over the holding of Senate elections according to schedule in March.

On Sunday, a senior cabinet member of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s government said no one was sure if the Senate elections would be held on time.

Talking to the media, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal asked journalists how certain they were that the Senate elections would be held on time.

He expressed apprehensions over political developments taking place in Balochistan and said that some elements were trying to sabotage the Senate elections.

“If an assembly is dissolved, it will not be good for the federation. The world will say democracy cannot function here,” said Mr Iqbal, adding that the elections should be held on time as it was a constitutional requirement.

Talking about the political situation in Balochistan, the interior minister said: “The game being played there will have serious repercussions. Nowhere in the world will you find an example where a member of a political party with five seats in the assembly becomes chief minister. Whoever is playing this game [should understand] it is a dangerous game.”

On Saturday, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo assumed office of the chief minister of Balochistan after securing 41 votes. PML-N’s Sanaullah Zehri resigned from the post last week after a no-confidence motion was filed against him.

Discussing the Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) protest scheduled for Jan 17 on Mall Road, Mr Iqbal questioned the motives of the party to hold the demonstration at a time when the general elections were only a few months away.

Earlier, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri had announced that a protest would be held against the killing of 14 PAT workers in Model Town in June 2014. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q have decided to join the protest.

“Why do you want to sabotage the country’s progress by staging sit-ins now when the elections are just five months away,” Mr Iqbal said, adding that one man [PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri] might leave for Canada right after creating instability in the country and cast PTI chief Imran Khan aside afterwards.

“We will not allow anyone to play with the progress of the country,” he reiterated.

In reply to a question, the minister said that every institution should work within its constitutional limits. “If any institution works outside its limit, then there will be problems.”

He also said that PTI chairman Imran Khan had become a part of history as his politics was over.

According to Mr Iqbal, it was important to stand united at a time when the United States and India were putting pressure on Pakistan. “We should be untied internally to face this challenge,” he said.

Commenting on Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat’s statement on Pakistan, Mr Iqbal said that it was irresponsible.

The Indian army chief had claimed that “if we have to really confront the Pakistanis, and a task is given to us, we are not going to say we cannot cross the border because they have nuclear weapons. We will have to call their nuclear bluff”.

“This statement shows that India is an irresponsible nuclear country,” said the interior minister.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2018