QUETTA: Former Balochistan home minister and JUI-F lawmaker Mir Zafar Ullah Zehri has said the provincial government is fast losing its writ in the province, while followers of Dr Allah Nazar and Basher Zeb are freely moving in different areas of the province.

Mr Zehri attended the Balochistan Assembly session on Monday for the first time since taking oath as an MPA. Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai presided over the assembly session.

Mr Zehri stood up on a point of order soon after the assembly session began and strongly criticised Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, who was not present in the house, for his failure to combat militants, insisting that the government could not win this war against them.

Mr Zehri said that he had in the past warned high-ranking officials and the provincial government of the grave situation in the province, and he believed that the chief minister and his government would eventually realise their mistakes.

He demanded formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe allegations against him regarding his support for the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He warned that public trust in parliament has been eroded and it needed urgent restoration.

The Leader of the Opposition Mir Younis Aziz Zehri, speaking on a point of order, condemned the recent incidents of violence in the province.

He said that a week ago, JUI-F leaders Wadera Ghulam Sarwar Mosiani and Maulana Amanullah were killed in Khuzdar, while two days ago, Mufti Shah Mir Bizenjo was assassinated in Turbat. Additionally, JUI-F leader Hafeez Mengal was injured in Khuzdar.

He said that those in power are responsible for all these killings, adding that at first an attempt was made to remove JUI-F through Form 47, and when that attempt failed, the party leaders were targeted.

“We are followers of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and even though our senior leaders have been martyred, we have never abandoned our struggle, nor will we do so in future,” he declared.

Minister for Planning and Development Mir Zahoor Buledi said Balochistan has been a victim of terrorism, and no political party has remained unaffected from it. He said the government would confront terrorists on all fronts.

He assured the opposition that the government is fully aware of its responsibilities and it is not negligent in addressing this issue. He also called for their cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025