Balochistan crisis continues

The Frontier Post

Speaker Balochistan Assembly Sardar Mohammad Aslam Khan Bhootani has once again refused to chair the Provincial Assembly session intensifying the constitutional crisis of the province further. His refusal to chair the assembly session, convened by Governor Sardar Zulfiqar Magsi on the advice of chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, is based on a plea that the Supreme Court’s interim order issued on Oct 12 at Quetta that the Balochistan government had failed to fulfill its constitutional duty and protect basic human rights in the province, amounted to the chief minister’s indictment and unless Nawab Raisani does not come out of the SC’s censure and legitimacy of Raisani’s government reviewed in strict legal terms, chairing a session of the legislature amounted to contempt of court. A similar situation emerged in the first week of November but Risani, within days won a vote of PA’s confidence. But even that session was not free from constitutional anomalies because it was convened by the acting-speaker in the absence of Mr Bhootani who was then the acting-governor when Governor Sardar Zulfiqar Magsi was out of the country and, as such, can be questioned for legality. That is why the question of legitimacy of the provincial government remained unanswered and this exactly is Bhootani’s view. Interestingly, the provincial government has not so far moved the SC to ascertain if it enjoyed legitimacy after the apex court’s short order in the petition filed by the Balochistan High Court Bar Association. The governor has also not clarified the situation although Bhootani wrote him a letter explaining the reasons why was he not prepared to chair the assembly session. Thus what appeared a month ago an intra-PPP affair now seems developing into a serious constitutional judicial issue particularly when the Balochistan chapter of the Pakistan People’s Party has sought Raisani’s removal as the chief minister. No doubt that the federal government already has so much against Raisani who invariably remains absent from Quetta giving the least time to provincial issues although Balochistan is confronted with an insurgency like situation. The provincial government also failed in moving towards the completion of Gwadar port project which is highly strategic as a corridor to Central Asia. The same is the case of settling the question of issuing a new licence for Riko Diq gold and copper mine which is the largest gold and copper colliery in the world and delay in its becoming productive is a huge loss to the country. The federal government is also learnt to be unhappy with Raisani’s administration faltering on the implementing the Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan that the PPP-led government at the center announced on Nov 24, 2009 as an instrument to ensure the province’s internal and financial autonomy. The step, billed as a lifeline package for the people of the province, was taken also to mollify Balochistan’s disgruntled people and bring them to negotiating table and ultimately to mainstream political life. The package included, among other political and financial concessions, a federal government promise that 5,000 additional jobs would be created for Balch youth, every graduate would be given government job and special age relaxation would be allowed for them for higher studies and employment. Whereas the federal government is said to have fulfilled most of its promises in the package, almost nothing was done by the provincial government. Another factor added to the charge sheet against the chief minister is that he did not respond to the spirit of a federal government initiative of wooing the estranged people of the province by bringing them on negotiating table by removing their grievances as far as possible. Akhtar Mengal came out with his six-point formula and yet the Raisani administration did not respond. Some positive developments were reported at that time but the provincial government not only remained unmoved but showed Mengal its cold shoulders. This may be taken as a national crime given the situation in the volatile province. However, Islamabad seems reluctant in going all-out against Mr Raisani as he has in his pocket a vote of confidence by an overwhelming majority the provincial lawmakers. Yet the provincial government cannot come out of the wood till it succeeds in getting the legitimacy question resolved by the Supreme Court. Till that time Raisani’s administration will keep its fate and future hanging up on a tenterhook.