Nawaz Sharif names Baloch nationalist as chief minister
03 June, 2013
MURREE: In a major move to honour his commitment and pacify the nationalist parties in Balochistan, PML-N President and prime minister-designate Nawaz Sharif has nominated Dr Abdul Malik of the National Party as provincial chief minister
Nawaz has said that the next provincial governor will be a nominee of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP). Addressing a press conference on Sunday after a high-level meeting with PML-N, PkMAP and National Party leaders, Nawaz said a change would be brought in Balochistan through good governance and merit, and the wounds of the people will be healed.
He said that despite having majority in the provincial assembly, the PML-N, in a bid to set a good tradition, has given the positions of the chief minister and governor to its coalition partners. He said there would be an incorrupt government in Balochistan and stated that had there been democracy there would have been no violence in the province.
Nawaz said his party had always called for putting an end to violence, ensuring peace and development, and time has come to fulfil these commitments. He said a peaceful environment is the first step for progress and prosperity.
To a question about the role of FC in Balochistan, Nawaz said the elected government makes the policies and all other institutions are bound to implement them.
Speaking on the occasion, PkMAP chief Mahmud Khan Achakzai said Punjab has shown bigheartedness, as a result of which they were standing together today. He said Punjab's attitude is democratic, it has an agenda of democratic Pakistan, to fight against terrorism and corruption, and Pashtun and Baloch are with it today. "If Punjab will take one step for friendship and reconciliation, Pashtuns and Baloch will respond by taking two steps," he declared.
Moreover, the nominated chief minister of Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik has said that he would respect the mandate entrusted to him by the public and would never accept to be a powerless chief minister.
"Neither do we engage in corruption nor would we allow anyone else to do that and would rule according to the law and constitution," he said.
"We appeal to the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) to let us join our hands and solve the issues of the province," said Dr.Malik Baloch, adding that the killers of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti would be sentenced according to law.
Talking to the media as the nominated Chief Minister Balochistan here at the MPA hostel, Dr Abdul Malik said that people of Balochistan are living under the poverty line and his government would try to raise their standard of living.
Replying to a question, he said that Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Akhtar Mengal have a positive role in politics and are famous among the people, "I would meet them and appeal them to solve the issue of Balochistan all together."
"It is not my personal matter and I am a layman and would meet any party and person and would try to convince them. Within the framework of Pakistan, we would try to move forward and benefit Balochistan," he said when asked about negotiations with Baloch separatists.
Dr Malik added that all parties should come to the table to solve the all issues including the recovery of missing persons and mutilated dead bodies.
He said that he had worked with Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and he was a respectable person for them and his murderers would be sentenced according to the law and constitution.
Dr Abdul Malik thanked the Pakistan Muslim League (N) for placing trust in him and hoped to solve all the issues of Balochistan along with allied parties.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Sunday once again nominated Rana Muhammad Iqbal as speaker of the Punjab Assembly, while Sher Ali Gorchani from southern Punjab has been named the deputy speaker.
The PML-N held a meeting in the leadership of would-be Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Shrif at his residence in Lahore for the nomination of the speaker and the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, a party source said.
The party meeting decided the name of Rana Iqbal, who remained a successful speaker of the PA during the last regime. The party nominated him for the second term because he has a lot of experience.
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