"We will cooperate with the government on positive decisions, and we won't support any undemocratic move," he said. Wasey, however, urged the PML-N leadership to field a candidate who enjoys support from all political parties in the province for smooth functioning of the government. "Opposition will not allow the provincial assembly to dissolve. No constitutional crisis will be supported in Balochistan," he said.
The JUI-F is the fourth largest political party in Balochistan with eight lawmakers and Abdul Wasey was the opposition leader in the assembly. Naeema Kishwar Khan, JUI-F MNA, told Business Recorder that her party would remain PML-N-led government's ally in the centre but not in Balochistan provincial assembly.
"We were in opposition in Balochistan assembly and our members would continue to sit on opposition benches there," she said, "we are part of the government in the centre and this arrangement will continue without any hindrance." The PML-N is a majority party in the province with 20 lawmakers followed by Pukhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party with 14 members. Sources in the party told Business Recorder on Wednesday that the PML-N leadership wants to pacify the dissidents who earlier rebelled against Zehri prior to finalizing the new candidate for the slot.
They said the PML-N could nominate Sardar Mohammad Saleh Bhootani, Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali or Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti for the slot of chief minister to retain control on the party. "These three candidates are the potential candidates for the slot due to their influence within the party and with members of the opposition parties," they said. In the 65-member House, only 12 members including eight members of JUI-F were officially in the opposition.
Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, one of the potential candidates for the chief minister slot, said that he is consulting with other members of the party and some opposition members as well to field a unanimous candidate for the position. He said that the move against Zehri was a principled move and now they would nominate an 'honest' candidate acceptable to everybody in the province.
Jamali further contended that the central leadership of the PML-N cannot understand the dynamics of Balochistan politics while sitting in Lahore or Islamabad and the local leadership of the party would decide the matter after consultation with all lawmakers.