QUETTA, Aug 19: The provincial assembly session was adjourned due to lack of quorum, but the opposition members accused the speaker of being partisan and of 'killing' the resolution on the NFC award that was on the agenda for the day.

The opposition members at a press conference alleged that the speaker had entered the hall knowing that the required strength of the members was not present and then without adjourning the session for some time that would have 'facilitated' the quorum adjourned the session till Saturday.

Opposition leader Kachkol Ali Baloch, Sardar Azam Khan Musakhel of the PMAP and Shafique Ahmed Khan of the PPPP said: "We called off the protest on Monday following the assurance from the treasury benches that in future all issues would be tackled with consultation to ensure smooth running of business in the house.

"But, unfortunately, after 72 hours the treasury benches did not reciprocate our sincerity to strive collectively for the rights of Balochistan. The ministers intentionally avoided the proceedings to sabotage the resolution of the opposition members that related to the NFC award."

The opposition members asserted that 'unfair' distribution of resources in the NFC was the root cause of the smaller provinces' miseries. They accused the members of the treasury benches of abstaining from the assembly session to save themselves from being exposed.

"The ministers were in a quandary. If they had backed the resolution they would have faced the wrath of the federal government, and if they had opposed the resolution they would have exposed themselves before the people of Balochistan. So they preferred absence from the house," the opposition members alleged.

Mr Kachkol also criticized the speaker for changing the time for holding the session from morning to afternoon, saying that on Monday last the chair had adjourned the session till 10.00am, but they learnt through the day's newspapers that the session would be held at 3.00pm.