Balochistan C.M. Jam Kamal Khan
In statement, the chief minister says he doesn’t ‘care two bits’ about the no-confidence motion
Lawmakers in the Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday moved a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan, claiming he had no right to rule in the province due to “poor” performance.
The motion, which the chief minister personally shared on Twitter, was signed by 16 MPAs and has been submitted to the provincial assembly secretary. The opposition lawmakers listed four points to justify their decision to initiate the no-confidence motion, alleging that there had been “utter disappointment” and unrest in the province during the 3 years of Kamal’s rule. It said that unemployment had spiked due to his “bad governance.”
The motion claims Kamal has violated Articles 37 (eradication of social evils) and 38 (promotion of well-being of people) of the Constitution, adding that his government passed budgets that led to an increase in poverty, deprivation and unrest in Balochistan. Citing a growing number of extremist incidents in the province, the no-confidence motion said citizens increasingly felt unsafe.
The opposition lawmakers have also accused Kamal of projecting a “non-serious” attitude toward problems related to ensuring fundamental rights, claiming this had directly resulted in gas, electricity and water shortages.
In a press conference, some of the signatories of the move claimed that they had the numbers to oust Kamal, but said they would not reveal their names at this juncture. “C.M. Kamal has no right to rule after the performance he has shown,” MPA Naseer Ahmed Shahwani added.
The 16 MPAs who signed the no-confidence motion are: opposition leader Malik Sikander Khan, Sanaullah Baloch, Nasrullah Zehri, Asghar Ali Tareen, Zabid Ali Raiki, Younas Aziz Zehri, Akhtar Hussain Langove, Akbar Mengal, Raheem Mengal, Sham Lal, Ahmad Nawa, Shakeela Dehwar, Titus Johnson and Naseer Ahmed Shahwani.
In a posting on Twitter, Kamal dismissed the motion as a non-event. “I don’t care two bits on opposition’s motion of no confidence,” he said. “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.