Aug 28, 2013

Balochistan: BNP-M Leader Takes Oath In Balochistan Assembly


Picture@BNP-M

After much deliberation, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has decided to take oath as member of the provincial assembly on Wednesday 28 August 2013.

Below is an article published by Dawn.com:

Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Mir Hamal Kalmati are likely to take oath as members of Balochistan Assembly during the current session on Wednesday [28 August 2013].

“Yes I have decided to take oath as member of Balochistan Assembly,” Sardar Mengal told Dawn.com on Tuesday [27 August 2013]. He said the central committee of BNP-M had decided to raise voice for Baloch rights and protection of resources within the parliament as well.

“That is why, we are taking oath as members of assembly,” he added.

BNP-M, the mainstream Baloch nationalist party has decided to sit on opposition benches in the provincial assembly. The party had serious reservations over the authenticity of the historic May 11 [2013] elections in Balochistan and repeatedly blamed the government for polls rigging.

After a three and half month delay, the party has finally made its way to the Balochistan Assembly and decided to be part of the parliamentary system in the country.

“After 14 years, Sardar Akhtar Mengal will be coming to Balochistan Assembly,” Agha Hassan Baloch, the central information secretary of BNP-M told Dawn.com.

Baloch said members of his party will raise their voice inside the assembly for recovery of missing persons, an end to recovery of mutilated dead bodies among other thorny issues being faced by the troubled Balochistan province.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal has served as chief minister of Balochistan from 1997 to 1998 during previous government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He was removed from power and Jan Muhammad Jamali, the then speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, was elected as the chief minister at that time.

BNP-M’s Essa Noori has already taken oath as member of the National Assembly earlier.