Opposition Stages Walkout in Balochistan Assembly Over New Districts

QUETTA: Opposition members in the Balochistan Assembly staged a walkout in protest against the provincial government's recent decision to create new divisions and districts. The opposition warned that the move could alter the province's geographical and tribal history.

Former chief minister and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam leader Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani was among those who voiced strong opposition to the re-delimitation of districts and divisions. Raisani specifically objected to the inclusion of Kachhi district in Sibi division and Mastung in Quetta division, stating that these areas were historically integral parts of the former Kalat state.

"Kachhi and Mastung were integral parts of the former Kalat state," Raisani said. He argued that such administrative changes, made under the assumption that they would bring peace, could instead lead to disputes among communities over jobs, educational quotas, and other issues. He demanded that the government withdraw its decision and announced a protest walkout from the assembly session.

Raisani also condemned what he described as "anti-Baloch decisions" and stated that the opposition would not accept related legislation. The walkout underscored the deep divisions within the assembly regarding the government's approach to administrative restructuring in the province.

The opposition's main concern centers on the potential impact of the new divisions and districts on the province's tribal and historical identity. The government has not yet responded publicly to the opposition's demands for withdrawal of the decision.