BAP and PTI to form Balochistan government together
The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) on Tuesday announced the formation of a coalition with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to form government in Balochistan. The party will also be joining PTI's government in the centre.
"We would like to run Balochistan through a system and complete coordination with the centre. We are here today with our four MPAs to join PTI in the centre. We are doing this without any conditions," BAP Chief Jam Kamal said during a joint press conference with PTI leaders in Islamabad.
During the press conference PTI leader Jahangir Tareen also endorsed Kamal's nomination as the Balochistan CM.
"BAP won 15 provincial seats in Balochistan and since then, 4 independent candidates have joined them. Bringing their seat count in the province to 19. We [the PTI] have five seats and together our count has gone up to 24." he said.
"BAP has the majority in the province and it has the right to choose the chief minister. The party has nominated Jam Kamal sahib and the PTI fully supports him as the candidate for Balochistan CM," Tareen added during the press conference.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed BAP's decision to join hands with PTI "for the greater good of Balochistan."
"We know that there are forces out there that do not want Balochistan to prosper," he said, adding that BAP wants to fight such "forces".
"After today's discussions, for the first time, I am seeing a [Balochistan] government that does wants to work with the centre and not create an air of confrontation," Qureshi said during his brief media address.
On the matter of the choice of chief ministers for Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Punjab, Tareen said that the final decision will be taken by Imran Khan soon.
Dismissing any rumours regarding the formation of a forward block in the party regarding the choice of KP CM, former CM of the province Pervez Khattak said that there is no such movement in the party, "all of us will accept the decision that Khan sahib will make."
Speaking to the media again a couple of hours later, Tareen claimed that 18 independents have already joined PTI in Punjab and more will join in soon.
