19 days on Balochistan CM yet to form cabinet

QUETTA: Despite taking his oath of office 19 days ago, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti is yet to form the provincial cabinet.

Speaking with journalists in a presser on Wednesday, he announced that the process will take another two weeks with the cabinet taking oath on April 4.

The provincial lawmakers have, however, claimed that the delay in cabinet's formation is linked with the Senate election which, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), is set to take place on April 2.

It should be noted that a total of 57 lawmakers in the province were administered oath by Zamrak Khan Achakzai, who was appointed the presiding officer for the maiden session of the provincial legislative on February 28.

Members who took oath included the elected lawmakers from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and others.

Bugti, who was elected for the coveted CM post unopposed, took oath of office on March 2, facing hydra-headed challenges as the province remains badly impacted by terrorism.

Meanwhile, the Senate elections will take place next month with the ECP set to issue the revised list of the candidates on 26th of this month.

It is pertinent to mention here that 52 seats in the upper house of parliament fall vacant after the expiration of the 6-year term of the incumbent Senators.

The elections, however, would be held to elect 48 senators as 4 reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional amendment.