QUETTA: Both the ruling six-party alliance and opposition in the Balochistan Assembly remained divided and voted for different candidates in the presidential election here on Tuesday.

The opposition Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) voted for PTI candidate Dr Arif Alvi, but the ANP, which is part of the ruling coalition, voted for JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The Balochistan Awami Party, Hazara Democratic Party, BNP-Awami and Jamhoori Watan Party of the ruling alliance voted for Dr Alvi who obtained 45, while Maulana Fazl got 15 votes. A total of 60 votes were cast in the 65-member Balochistan Assembly.

Former chief minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, the only PML-N MPA in the provincial assembly, did not come to cast his vote.

PPP’s presidential candidate Aitzaz Ahsan did not get any vote from the Balochistan Assembly.

Maulana Fazl got votes from his own party, the ANP and PkMAP.

Polling started at 10am amid tight security and the process continued till 4pm without any interval.

The first vote was cast by Abdul Wahid Siddique of the JUI-F and the last vote by Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo.

Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Tahira Safdar, who was presiding officer, announced the results.

Heavy contingents of police, Frontier Corps, ATF and Balochistan Constabulary were deployed in and around the provincial assembly building to avert any untoward incident.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2018