Balochistan Assembly elects new speaker, deputy

QUETTA: Syed Matiullah Agha and Dr Fozia Marri were elected unopposed as the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Balochistan Assembly, respectively, on Monday. Meanwhile, the constitutional petition of the former speaker, Aslam Bhootani, challenging the procedure adopted in the no-confidence motion against him, was dismissed by the Balochistan High Court (BHC).

As per the decision of the coalition partners of the Nawab Aslam Raisani-led government in Balochistan, Syed Matiullah Agha, of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), has become the new speaker, and Dr Fozia Marri, of Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A), the deputy speaker. They won these seats unopposed.

Agha has been serving as the deputy speaker since the coalition government was formed in Balochistan after the general elections in 2008. He was elected to the office of the speaker following the passage of the no-trust motion against Bhootani.

Dr Marri is the first woman to rise to the coveted post of deputy speaker in the Balochistan Assembly.

Soon after their election, both took oath of their office. Dr Marri, who was chairing the session, administered oath to the speaker and later the speaker administered oath to her.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani congratulated the new speaker and his deputy and hoped that they would maintain the sanctity of the House and promote positive parliamentary traditions.

The parliamentary leader of the JUI-F, Maulana Abdul Wasay, congratulated Matiullah Agha and Dr Marri on their election and assured them of complete cooperation from his party for the smooth running of the assembly.

When the election proceedings for the new speaker and deputy speaker were in progress in the Balochistan Assembly, the hearing into the constitutional petition of the ex-speaker was resumed in the BHC.

BHC Judge Jamal Mandokhel expressed his annoyance over the hurriedly held elections of the speaker and his deputy and said that they should have waited for the court decision. However, the court rejected Bhootani’s petition.

Lawyer Hadi Shakil and Baz Muhammad Kakar appeared before the court on behalf of Bhootani, while Latif Kohsa represented Agha in the court.

Agencies add: Earlier, Balochistan Governor Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi had summoned the session to elect the new speaker. In his speech, Raisani thanked the legislators for their cooperation in the unopposed election of Agha and Dr Marri.

“After two months, the incumbent government’s tenure will end and new general elections will be held. I pray for the success in the next general elections of the sitting lawmakers so that they can form the next coalition government of Balochistan,” he said.

Raisani said for the first time in the country’s parliamentary history, a democratic government would complete its five-year tenure.

Meanwhile, during hearing into Bhootan’s petition, former governor Punjab Latif Khosa, representing Agha, said the BHC chief justice was abroad and since there was no acting chief justice, the hearing could not take place.

The court rejected the objection.

Upon court’s objection to the election of the speaker and the deputy speaker, Advocate General Amanullah Kinrani said it could not interfere in constitutional affairs, adding that any decision made by the court before the completion of the election process would be followed.

Finally, the BHC bench comprising Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhel and Noor Muhammad discarded Bhootani’s petition and allowed a conduct of election for the provincial assembly’s speaker and his deputy. The court has reserved its verdict on the matter.

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