Pakistan’s Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri on Tuesday 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 Mr. 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 Mr. 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, Mr. Abbasi told Mr. 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 Mr. Abbasi.
“That is in the party’s interest,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zehri’s spokesperson Jan Achakzai claimed that the Prime Minister had not advised him to resign, the report added.
