Balochistan C.M. Jam Kamal Khan
Disgruntled members of ruling Balochistan Awami Party warn of no-confidence motion if Jam Kamal does not resign on Oct. 6
Disgruntled members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) on Tuesday appeared to support the opposition’s calls for Chief Minister Jam Kamal’s ouster, saying that if he did not resign by today (Wednesday), they would opt for a no-confidence motion.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan Finance Minister Zahoor Buledi urged Kamal to resign on “moral grounds,” claiming he no longer had the confidence of either the people of the province or his party. He said that if Kamal did not step down voluntarily, the chief minister would have to face a no-confidence motion in the provincial assembly.
Another BAP MPA, Asad Baloch, backed Buledi’s statements, alleging that the people of the province had already expressed “no-confidence” in the chief minister. He said that Kamal had till 5 p.m. on Oct. 6 to resign or provincial lawmakers would move a no-confidence motion against him.
Last month, opposition MPAs in the Balochistan Assembly had moved a no-confidence motion against Kamal, claiming he had no right to rule the province due to “poor” performance. While only signed by 16 MPAs, the lawmakers had claimed that they had the numbers to oust Kamal but would not reveal their full strength until a vote was called.
At the time, Kamal had dismissed the motion as a non-event. “I don’t care two bits on opposition’s motion of no confidence,” he said on Twitter. “For me it’s important if my own party and coalition are with me. The day I don’t have my own party and coalition majority … then for me being the leader of the House is of no use and will leave myself,” he added.