QUETTA: The ruling alliance in Balochistan, headed by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Senate Chairman Mir Sadiq Sanjrani, has succeeded in convincing Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind of the PTI to withdraw his son, Sardar Khan Rind, who had filed nomination papers as an independent candidate from the province from the Senate election.

A delegation of the ruling alliance parties, led by the Senate chairman and Balochistan Awami Party president Jam Kamal, visited the residence of Sardar Rind along with BAP founder Saeed Ahmed Hashmi and asked him to withdraw his son from the Senate election.

Mr Rind, who is parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the Balochistan Assembly, agreed to withdraw his son from the contest after negotiations with the ruling alliance delegation.

“My son was contesting Senate election as an independent candidate, but now I have withdrawn him from the contest,” Mr Rind announced at a joint press conference with Jam Kamal at his residence after successful negotiation.

CM, Senate chairman call on PTI leader at his residence

He said that his son had nothing to do with the PTI but he had withdrawn him from the contest in favour of the ruling alliance.

He said that it was difficult for him to withdraw his son from the Senate election but he took this decision, otherwise the opposition would have benefited from this situation.

Mr Rind said: “Now we have agreed to contest the Senate election jointly as the PTI is part of the ruling alliance headed by Jam Kamal. It was our wish that the PTI should have representation in the Senate from Balochistan but the party’s central leadership did not pick any candidate from the province.”

The PTI leader, who had earlier expressed his reservations over not being involved in decision-making process at the provincial level by the provincial government, hoped that now the chief minister would take him into confidence in running the government’s affairs.

Jam Kamal lauded the decision of Mr Rind and said: “I’m thankful to Sardar Rind, the PTI and all other parties which are part of the coalition government for extending their cooperation in the Senate election. After today’s positive development, we will complete the Senate election process in a better way.”

The chief minister said that Sardar Rind had never talked about his personal interests.

Replying to a question, he said that with 23 members what surprise the opposition could give to the coalition government which enjoyed the support of 42 members in the house of 65.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2021