QUETTA, April 9: Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, who was elected 18th Chief Minister of Balochistan on Wednesday, is chief of the Sarawan tribe and is considered second to the Khan of Kalat in tribal status.

He is the first chief minister elected unopposed in the parliamentary history of Balochistan.

He is son of late Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani, who was appointed the governor of Balochistan in 1972 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and later inducted as federal minister for food and agriculture.

Aslam Raisani was born on July 5, 1955. He obtained master’s degree in political science.

Before starting his political career, he joined government service and held different posts in the Balochistan Development Authority, Passco and police.

He joined the Pakistan National Party led by Mir Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo in the late 1980s. After winning election in 1988, he was appointed parliamentary leader of the party in the Balochistan assembly. He also became the provincial chief of the party.

He has been elected to the provincial assembly four times.

He served as minister for agriculture, labour and manpower in a caretaker government.

After the death of Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo, Aslam Raisani joined the Pakistan People’s Party and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto inducted him into the party’s central executive committee.

In 1990, he was appointed senior minister in Mir Mohammad Jamali’s cabinet and held the portfolio of finance.

He won the Feb 18 election from PB-27, Mastung.

With seven MPAs, the PPP elected him as its parliamentary leader and gave him the task of mustering support for forming its government in the province. He won the support of all independent members and subsequently of other parties. Of the 20 members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q in the house of 65, a group of 12 MPAs led by Mohammad Aslam Bhootani also announced its support Mr Raisani.

On Wednesday, all the parties in the assembly have reposed confidence in him.

He has the support of 62 of the 63 members of the assembly.

Mr Raisani also has influence over other tribes of the province.

He is considered a progressive agriculturist who has introduced modern technology.

He has worked as the president of the Pakistan Chamber of Agriculture, Balochistan.

He is also a life member of the Wildlife Conservation Society.