QUETTA: The National Party (NP) has been punished for siding with democracy and parliament, said NP president Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo while speaking at a meeting of the party’s central committee here on Wednesday.

The meeting reviewed the political situation prevailing in the country after July 25 elections, rejected the poll results and alleged that entire polls had been rigged.

On the NP’s dismal performance in the elections, Mr Bizenjo said, “We accept this punishment but the rulers should not think that the party will allow them what they want. Supremacy of parliament is not acceptable to the establishment,” he said, adding that the NP would continue struggle for upholding democracy and supremacy of parliament along with other opposition parties.

The central committee warned that the NP would not let anyone “run Balochistan as a colony” and would not allow “plunder of the coast and resources of the province through establishing ‘kings’ parties’ in the province”.

The central committee terminated basic party membership of Khalid Langove, a former adviser to Balochistan chief minister on finance, and Zubair Rind, a contractor, over violation of party polices.

Mr Langove had worked as adviser to two chief ministers Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Nawab Sanaullah Zehri. He was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in a mega corruption case involving the provincial finance department. Former finance secretary Mushtaq Raisani and some other officials were also arrested after recovery of around Rs630 million in cash from the residence of Mr Raisani.

The central committee also decided to hold the NP’s central congress in Quetta from Sept 28 to 30.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2018