Pakistan: Balochistan chief minister resigns before Assembly vote to oust him
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reportedly asked Nawab Sanaullah Zehri to step down during a phone call.
The chief minister of Pakistan’s Balochistan province resigned on Tuesday in a bid to end “instability” in the region, his advisor Jan Achakzai said on Twitter. Nawab Sanaullah Zehri quit shortly before Opposition lawmakers were to table a no-confidence motion against him in the provincial Assembly, Reuters reported.
I can confirm CM Balochistan tendered resignation following spirit of democratic principles. He thanked party MPAs & coalition partners 4 their support. He decided 2 bring an end to instability. He said #CPEC 2 continue.
— Jan Achakzai (@Jan_Achakzai) January 9, 2018
“Power is a temporary thing,” Zehri told reporters after his resignation, The Express Tribune said. “We will go to the masses again [for elections].”
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi advised Zehri during a phone conversation to resign before the vote of no-confidence, The Express Tribune reported. Abbasi added that there was “no need” for Zehri to make efforts to save the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in the state since its own lawmakers were not all on board, the daily said. Abbasi asked the chief minister to step down to avoid division within the party ranks.
On January 2, 14 lawmakers of the Balochistan Assembly had submitted a no-confidence motion against Zehri, Dawn reported. The lawmakers had claimed that Zheri did not fulfil the “commitments” he made to them.
Mir Abdul Qudoos Bezenjo, a former deputy speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, told Reuters on Tuesday that the lawmakers wanted to oust the chief minister because of his “massive corruption” and “ignoring coalition partners”.