Balochistan Assembly. Photo: File 

QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly will elect its new chief minister in a session scheduled today.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid nominated candidate Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, Pashtunkhuwa Milli Awami Party representatives Abdul Rahim Ziyaratwal and Agha Liaquat, have filed their nominations.

Along with his party members, Bizenjo has the complete support of disgruntled members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-s-Islam (Fazl).

Meanwhile, National Party has not nominated their candidate neither announced support to any candidate.

Following the in-house election, the new chief minister will take oath of his office at 5 pm.

Earlier, former chief minister Sanaullah Zehri resigned prior to a no-confidence motion being taken up against him in the provincial assembly.

Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo

Bizenjo born in Awaran on Januaray 1, 1974, first time contested elections in 2002. He was elected from PB-41.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid candidate remained Deputy Speaker from 2013-15.

CM Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri resigns ahead of no-confidence motion

The prime minister travelled to Quetta as a no-confidence motion against CM Zehri gained momentum

Bizenjo was elected as MPA from Awaran after receiving only 544 votes from the constituency, only 1.18 percent were polled in his constituency.

He was elected receiving least number of votes in the electoral history of Pakistan.

No-confidence motion

A no-confidence motion was submitted against Zehri on January 2 by MPAs Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Syed Agha Raza and had the signatures of 14 lawmakers.

In order to retain his position as chief minister, Zehri required the support of 33 members from a house of 65.

A political crisis developed in Balochistan following the no-confidence motion, with efforts stepped up by the PML-N, which has a government both in the centre and province, to defuse the situation. Zehri was forced to resign after some members of his own party, the PML-N, joined the opposition in its demand to remove him from office.

The crisis was enhanced further with the resignations of several cabinet members and advisers of chief minister Zehri.

Zehri had also been advised by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to step down as chief minister in order to defuse the political crisis that had been brewing in the province since the submission of the no-confidence motion in the assembly.