Balochistan Assembly dissolved

Balochistan Provincial Assembly was today dissolved by Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi on the advice of Chief Minister Muhammad Aslam Raisani.
The development comes a day after the dissolution of the Pakistan National Assembly.
An official notification was issued in this regard ahead of the coming general elections in the country in May.
Raisani would continue to act as the provincial Chief Minister until a caretaker Chief Minister is agreed upon by him and the opposition leader in the Assembly, a spokesman for the Balochistan government said in a statement.
A caretaker setup is to be selected to oversee general elections which, according to the constitution, have to be held within 60 days of the Assembly's dissolution.

The provincial Chief Minister had agreed to send advice for dissolving the Assembly following the transfer of chief secretary Balochistan - a long-standing demand put forth by Raisani.

Raisani and his coalition partners - the JUI-F, BNP Awami, ANP and independent lawmakers - had also made tireless efforts to prop up senior minister Maulana Wasay as opposition leader.
Yesterday, Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha issued a notification regarding Wasey as the opposition leader of the Assembly.
However, Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa said in his remarks that it was unacceptable that a man who had been enjoying ministry for five years could become the opposition leader just a day before the Assembly dissolution.

"This is against the spirit of constitution and democracy," the Chief Justice said.
Balochistan has been Pakistan's most troubled province in the last five years with hundreds killed in sectarian and separatist violence while banned militant outfits have also carried out regular terrorist attacks in the province.