QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo on Friday submitted three privilege motions in the assembly secretariat against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi and Senator Ahmed Bugti.

In the privilege motions, Mr Bizenjo accused Mr Alyani, Mr Buledi and Mr Bugti of passing uncivilised and unparliamentarily remarks about him.

He said that all the three privilege motions should be handed over to the assembly’s privilege committee.

Talking to reporters at his chamber on Friday, he said that CM Alyani had described him “an emotional person” which was unparliamentary language.

He said Mr Buledi remarked about him that “Mr Bizenjo has become unimportant in politics” and Mr Bugti said that the speaker was a member of the Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) core committee.

Mr Bizenjo said the privilege committee should summon the three men for explanation.

He said “under Article 19 of the Constitution and being the speaker and an ordinary citizen, I have the right of the freedom of speech”. But, he added, “Mr Alyani had described me as an emotional person, which hurt my privilege”.

He said that as the speaker of the provincial assembly he was above party politics. “I’m the custodian of the assembly.”

Reacting to a statement of Mr Bizenjo a few days ago, CM Alyani said that the speaker could better define in which context he had given statement against the provincial government’s performance. “I am ready to face a no-confidence move,” the CM said.

In a statement recently, Mr Buledi had offered Mr Bizenjo to help him in understanding the rules of business of the provincial assembly.

Mr Bizenjo claimed that the majority of BAP leaders and MPAs were against the Alyani government. Mr Alyani could not run the affairs of the government and also of BAP as its president, he said, adding that for saving the party and for the largest interest of the province he wanted change in Balochistan.

Mr Bizenjo claimed that he was enjoying support of 24 members of opposition parties. A majority of BAP members in the assembly would also support a change in the government, he added.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2020