QUETTA: The Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) has decided to review its relations with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in Islamabad after the Monday by-election on a Senate seat.

Senior BNP-M leader and member of Balochistan Assembly Sanaullah Baloch told journalists after the announcement of result of by-election that the ruling PTI did not support its candidate.

“The PTI has disappointed the party by not supporting the BNP-M candidate in the by-election on the Senate seat,” Mr Baloch said, adding that its relations with the PTI government would be reviewed in the coming party’s meeting. He said the BNP-M had extended support to the PTI government at the Centre when the latter had assured it of solving problems being faced by the people of Balochistan.

He said the PTI had promised to vote for the BNP-M candidate but it did not support him. Mr Baloch said the situation would be taken up in the party meeting before taking a final decision in this regard. “Our relations would have strengthened if the PTI had supported our candidate,” he added.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019