Balochistan Assembly rumpus case: Opposition leader, 16 MPAs surrender to police

QUETTA: Opposition leader in Balochistan Assembly Malik Sikander Khan and 16 other members have surrendered before the police personnel at Bijli Ghar Road Police Station in a case registered against erupting rumpus in the assembly.

The development came after a case of ruckus in Balochistan Assembly was filed.

Opposition members include: Akhtar Hussain Lango, Mir Hamal Kalmati, Babu Rahim Mengal, Akbar Mengal, Malik Naseer Shahwani, Ahmad Nawaz, Shakila Naveed Dehwar, Zeenat Shahwani and Titus Johnson from BNP, Malik Sikandar from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Zabid Reiki, Younis Zehri, Asghar Tareen, Nawaz Ahmad Kakar and Nasrullah Zira from Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.

Earlier in the day, Balochistan Assembly opposition leaders offered their arrests following the registration of cases against opposition members for creating a mess during the presentation of the budget in the assembly.

According to the sources, the opposition members who were booked would offer their arrests at Bijli police station. While the lawmakers whose names were not included in the FIR, would stage a sit-in outside the Balochistan Assembly.

The MPAs who are offering their arrests marched from MP Hostel towards the police station and have offered their arrests jointly. The authorities have deployed a large police force along the roads leading to Balochistan Assembly, MP Hostel and Bijli Ghar.

The Balochistan Assembly became battleground June 18 when opposition lawmakers from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F, Balochistan National Party-Mengal and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and independent members along with their supporters camped outside the assembly building in protest against the provincial coalition government led by chief minister Jam Kamal Alyani for its refusal to allocate development funds for opposition’s constituencies.

The opposition parties had also blocked national highways passing through many cities and towns of Balochistan, including Quetta, Chagai, Washuk, Kharan and Nushki, in protest against the government last week.

The TV channel reported that the budget session was also delayed as the opposition lawmakers had locked the assembly gates from inside to prevent the treasury members from entering the building. Later Quetta police had to break open the gate of the MPAs Hostel using an armored vehicle to let the treasury lawmakers enter the building. More than 250 people including 17 opposition members and opposition leader Malik Sikandar have been booked in the case of creating ‘anarchy’ in Balochistan Assembly.