QUETTA: The proceedings of the Balochistan Assembly on Thursday were adjourned for a second time during the current session due to lack of quorum, while the opposition members claimed that lawmakers on the treasury benches did not take interest in running the affairs of the government and should therefore resign.

The session began half-an-hour after the scheduled time with MPA Shahida Rauf in the chair, as the speaker was absent.

A member of the opposition pointed out the lack of quorum soon after the question-hour began. The chair counted the number of lawmakers and adjourned the session for five minutes so the remaining MPAs could be summoned. However, the quorum remained incomplete, and the chair had to adjourn the session for 15 minutes. When she resumed the session, the quorum was still incomplete and she finally adjourned the session till March 24.

This was the second time in the current session that assembly proceedings were adjourned due to lack of quorum in the House. Most of the ministers and MPAs had chosen not to attend the session because Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo is currently on a visit to the USA in connection with the Reko Diq Copper and Gold projects.

Opposition members hold press conference slamming government’s ‘incompetence’

Members of the opposition in the assembly claimed that the government had lost its majority and should, therefore, resign. They complained that members of the treasury benches did not take any interest in running the government.

Members of the opposition said the lawmakers on the treasury benches had no right to stay in government anymore and alleged that the chief minister had gone to the United States to sell the Reko Diq projects against the will of the people of Balochistan. They said the opposition would not stay quiet on the issue.

They warned that they would hold protests at all forums against the sale of Reko Diq.

Speaking at a joint press conference in the evening, opposition MPAs Sardar Aslam Bizenjo, Dr Hamid Khan Achakzai, Rehman Saleh Baloch, Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen, Obaidullah Babit, Syed Liaquat Agha, Nasarullah Zerey, Haji Islam, Dr Shahma Ishaq, Yasmin Lehri, Sposmay Achakzai, Arifa Siddiq and Masooma Hayat expressed dismay over the government’s performance.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018