Baloch electable politicians form new political party

KARACHI: Aiming at ‘strong provincial government’, dozens of electable politicians from Balochistan province have joined hands to form a new political party, says Dr. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi, advisor to the chief minister for finance.
“Initially, we had planned to announce the party on Pakistan Day – March 23, 2018 – but now it can be announced any time within the next few days because all the leaders have arrived in Quetta,” she told Arab News.
The prominent figures behind the move are Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo; Jan Muhammad Jamali, former speaker of Balochistan Assembly Jan Muhammad Jamali; Sardar Saleh Bhootani; Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti; Mir Abdul Kareem Nowsherwani; federal state minister Jam Kamal; Mir Amanullah Notezai Magsi; Mir Ghulam Dastagir Badini; Mir Asim Kurd Gailo, and Senator Anwaar ul Haq Kakar.
Hashmi, who also played an important role in the formation of new political party, said that the party is yet to choose its president and other key positions.
“The new president may be from any of the former speakers; either Jan Muhammad Jamali or my husband, Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, who has the experience of over three decades besides serving as general secretary of PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] Balochistan [chapter],” she further divulged.
The party’s name should contain words ‘Muslim League’ on which consensus can be forged. “However, the name is still to be decided. Once we name it, we will go the election commission to get our party registered,” said Hashmi.
The new political party is aimed to create a strong provincial government in Balochistan as the previous coalition governments had been unable to secure the rights of the province, which is rich in natural resources but the poorest in terms of infrastructure and development.
The need of a strong political party was felt from the days of Dr Abdul Malik’s regime, however, our success in recent senate polls and subsequent election of Chairman Senate from Balochistan provided a strong base for the formation of party,” said Hashmi.
Although, most of the leaders in the new political party are either from provincial Capital, Quetta, or the Baloch belt of the province; however, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, the newly elected senator and former Spokesman for the Government of Balochistan, is optimistic that the party will get votes from the Pashtun belt of the province as well.
“We have got enormous response from across Balochistan and many people from the Pashtun belt will also join our new party,” Kakar told Arab News.
Anwar Sajidi, senior analyst and president of the Editors' Council of Balochistan Newspapers believes the security establishment is backing the new political entity which he terms as “Kings Party” in the making.
“They have at-least 20 electable politicians and given the constant history of engineered elections in Balochistan, it is most likely that the new party will win the elections,” Sajidi told Arab News, adding that in case of free and fair elections they can’t play well. “This is not restricted to Balochistan; in coming days, we may see such parties in other provinces as well,” Sajidi says.
Quetta-based analyst Jalal Noorzai concurs with Sajidi on the point that the move is not indigenous and adds, “Syed Saeed Hashmi, who has always enjoyed good relations with Kings in the past is an important player in this game but the initiative is not his.”
Noorzai says Balochistan has immense significance due to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and its security. Chief Minister Balochistan’s recent visit to Washington is also part of the efforts to kick off the Reko Diq mining project with vast Gold and Copper Reserves. “For all this, Islamabad needs political leaders from Balochistan in the provincial and national assembly who may listen to them [establishment] and act as required,” Noorzai says.
With indigenous parties, like Pashtun Khawa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal ur Rahman (JUI-F) and National Party, being split and toeing their specific party agendas, Noorzai sees great space for the new party to become successful in the upcoming general elections.