Pakistan Views

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Raisani has welcomed the release of BNP-M chief, Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal and said his release will improve the atmosphere of understanding and reconciliation process in the province.In a statement issued here on Friday evening, the CM said that his government had announced withdrawal of cases against the BNP-M president and other leaders of the party, besides, contacted the federal and Sindh governments for withdrawing of cases against him. He said that he had also requested the PM for withdrawing cases against Akhtar Mengal. As a result of the efforts made by him and his government release of the BNP-M chief became possible, he claimed.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani has announced compensation amounting to Rs 0.2 million each for the heirs of the traders who were killed by robbers and Rs.50,000/- each for the injured ones.The CM announced the compensation while talking to a delegation of traders community which called on him here at the CM Secretariat on Wednesday evening. Some unknown robbers opened fires at a shop resultantly two shopkeepers were killed while two others got seriously injured on Wednesday noon in the city.The CM assured the delegation that the government will constitute an affective and comprehensive strategy for protecting life and property of traders in the province. The delegation led by Shafiq Ahmed Khan and president Anjuman Tajiran Balochistan Raheem Kakar informed the CM about deteriorating law and order situation in the province, particularly in the provincial capital and expressed their deep concerns over the poor order situation.

Frontier Corps Balochistan on Sunday withdrew its personnel from provincial metropolis and Gwadar district and police replaced the FC on their check posts, FC sources told APP. They said over 600 FC personnel have been withdrawn from 28 check posts in the provincial capital while over 600 personnel of FC have also been called back from Gwadar district.
They, however, refused to comment about number of the vacating check posts in Gwadar district and calling back of FC from other parts of the province. “Now, FC personnel have been replaced with police forces. Police will control law and order in the areas,” they explained.

The 35 member cabinet of Balochistan will take oath on Wednesday and the differences among coalition parties on cabinet formation had been resolved said Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani. After a meeting with Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, he told newsmen that his talks with JUI-F’s provincial chief had been positive and fruitful.”No difference is left among the coalition partners and the new cabinet would take oath today,” said Nawab Raisani.Responding to a question, he said that all parties should take part in the all-party conference on Balochistan to be convened by Pakistan Peoples Party co chairman Asif Ali Zardari.Maulana Sherani said that the JUI-F would get six ministries and Maulana Abdul Wasay will be the senior minister.For Balochistan senate technocrat seat Malik Mumtaz Hussain and for General seat Maulana Ghafoor Hydry will be candidate on behalf of both the parties.

Balochistan cabinet may take oath on Saturday after negotiations between PPP leaders and a group of independent parliamentarians moved forward, sources close to both the groups told APP on Friday.According to reports, a group of seven independents who announced support to PPP candidate for the post of CM opposed the inclusion of former cabinet members into the new cabinet.However, after holding prolonged negotiations with Nawab Aslam Khan Raisani the group has agreed to accept portfolios in the new cabinet.Some other sources revealed that the deadlock actually centred on distribution of portfolios which the PPP central leadership had already promised with JUI-F and BNP-A.Another source who remained part of the negotiations disclosed that the independents had retracted from their demands and agreed on accepting other portfolios.

Balochistan Assembly session has been postponed till tomorrow morning 10:00 am. Newly elected 62 members of the 9th provincial assembly took the oath. The outgoing Speaker, Jamal Shah Kakar, has administered oath to the members of the house.Nomination papers for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker will be filed later today. According to the sources Aslam Bhotani and Moulvi Muhammad Suroor Moosa Khel are expected to nominate for the post of speaker and deputy speaker respectively. Election for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker will be held on Tuesday, while the chief minister will be elected on Wednesday.Meanwhile Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has appeared as the only candidate for the post of the chief minister after winning the support of independent candidates, MMA, BNP(A), PML-Q (Ham Khiyal Group) and ANP members for power-sharing and forming a coalition government in the province.After being elected, Raisani will be the third PPP chief minister in the province while the 13th chief minister. Ex-federal minister for frontier regions Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind of the PML-Q is all set to be the only opposition member. In 1977 also there was only one opposition member, Dr Mir Haji Tareen, in the House.

A soldier was killed and two others were wounded when a landmine blew up their vehicle in the southwestern province of Balochistan early on Thursday, officials said.
The blast happened near a gas field in Nasirabad district of the region hit by a tribal insurgency, a security official said.
The two injured soldiers were rushed to hospital after their vehicle was badly destroyed, the official said, requesting anonymity.
He said militants also fired three rockets on a check post in the nearby district of Dera Bugti overnight but caused no casualties.

The lawyers boycotted court proceedings in Balochistan on Saturday to protest against manhandling of protesting lawyers in Karachi and Islamabad.
“The lawyers stayed away from the court proceedings in Quetta and other parts of the province and hoisted black flags at the bar rooms,” President Balochistan Bar Baz Muhammad Kakar told Geo News.
Balochistan Bar has decided to observe complete boycott of the High Court till March 09 and daily hour-long token boycott of the lower courts except Thursday, he said. The lawyers will hold protest demonstrations on Thursday.
Balochistan Bar president also backed Long March of the lawyers on March 09 and demanded restoration of the deposed judges.

The weather in most parts of the country will remain dry and cold during the next 24 hours, however, north Balochistan is likely to receive stormy rains, Met. Office said.

Met. Department during the last 24 hours recorded minimum temperatures –13 degree Celsius at Kalam, 11 in Karachi, 0 in Islamabad, 4 in Lahore, 3 in Peshawar, -7 at Chitral, -6 at Murree and Skardu, -4 at Quetta, Qalat and Zhob, -2 at Abbotabad and –2 degree Celsius at Gilgit.