
Karachi: Pakistan's Balochistan Chief
Minister Sanaullah Zehri today resigned from his post ahead of
a no confidence motion against him in the provincial assembly,
amid speculation of 'horse trading', media reports said.
Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai has accepted
the resignation, The Express Tribune reported.
The Opposition had announced that they would not withdraw
the no-confidence motion moved against the chief minister
belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
government.
The Assembly was likely to witness a stormy session which
was convened to discuss the no-confidence motion against Zehri
filed by the treasury benches, levelling serious allegations.
The government and the Opposition both had claimed that
they have the support of the majority of leaders.
The resignation follows a telephonic conversation between
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and chief minister Zehri,
during which Abbasi advised him to step down, the report said.
Former provincial minister Sarfraz Bugti took to the
social media to confirm the news.
"Alhumdulillah! CM #Balochistan resigned," he tweeted.
In the telephonic conversation, Abbasi told Zehri that
there was no need to put in efforts for saving the PML-N
government in the province when the party members were not
onboard, the report said.
In order to avoid divisions within the party ranks and
imminent 'horse-trading' in the provincial assembly, he should
leave the post before the no-confidence motion, said Abbasi.
"That is in the party's interest," he said.
Meanwhile, Zehri's spokesperson Jan Achakzai claimed that
the prime minister had not advised him to resign, the report
added.
PTI