QUETTA: Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) leader Abdul Quddus Bizenjo swore in as Balochistan chief minister during an oath-taking ceremony at the Governor House in Quetta on Friday.
Bizenjo was elected to the office uncontested with the 39 votes in his favour during a session of the Balochistan Assembly earlier in the day.
The oath was administered to the newly-elected chief minister by Balochistan Governor Zahoor Ahmed Agha, while Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Qasim Suri, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, and members of the provincial and national assemblies also attended the ceremony.
The former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, who had been facing opposition from his own party, BAP, and others, stepped down from the post last week.
Bizenjo, who was serving as the Balochistan Assembly speaker, also resigned from the post soon after and was nominated by the BAP leadership for the top slot.
The BAP candidate had gained the support of PTI Parliamentary Leader Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, who announced that he was pulling out of the race and backing Bizenjo for the CM’s slot.
PTI’s parliamentary party in the province had named Rind for the position of the chief minister.
Besides Rind, no other candidate in the provincial assembly had filed nomination papers to contest against Bizenjo.
“We will go ahead in consultation with all and take benefit from the experiences of whoever remained the chief minister,” Bizenjo had said earlier in a statement.
Bizenjo had said that he wanted to work with other leaders of the province.
The newly-elected chief minister had said he had even tried to contact former CM Jam Kamal.
Bizenjo said he would announce the future policy of his government in tomorrow’s assembly session.
