Balochistan Awami Party

Balochistan Awami Party
بلوچستان عوامی پارٹی‬
President Jam Kamal Khan[1]
Founder Saeed Hashmi and Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar[2]
Founded 29 March 2018 (2018-03-29)
Ideology Federalism[3]
Progressivism[4]
Political position Centre[4]
Colors          Green, White
Senate
7 / 104
[5]
National Assembly
5 / 342
[6][7]
Balochistan Assembly
24 / 65
[8]

Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) (Urdu: بلوچستان عوامی پارٹی‬‎) is a political party based in the Balochistan province of Pakistan founded in 2018 by political dissidents of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) in Balochistan.[5]

The party emerged as the largest party in Balochistan as a result of the Pakistani general election, 2018. It leads a coalition government in the province and is also a part of the ruling coalition in the National Assembly.

Origins

On 24 December 2015, Sanaullah Zehri of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Balochistan. His tenure lasted for two years, until on 2 January 2018, dissident MPAs of his own party rebelled against him and decided to support the opposition in a motion of no confidence against him. Fearing defeat, Zehri resigned as Chief Minister on 9 January 2018, and was replaced 4 days later by Abdul Quddus Bizenjo on 13 January. This was largely seen as a setback for the PML-N in the province.[9][10]

Two months later in the Senate elections, the PML-N failed to secure a single seat in the province. Instead, Independents supported by the new provincial government won 6 out of the 11 seats that were up for election. This was seen as another setback for the PML-N.

Furthermore, this group of senators, with the support of the provincial government, decided to launch their own candidate for the Election of Chairman in the senate. This group secured the backing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Pakistan Peoples Party and many other parties which allowed them to successfully elect their candidate Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate Chairman, securing 57 out of 103 votes.[11]

Foundation

Following these events, rumours emerged of a new political party being formed. On 29th March 2018, Saeed Hashmi and Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar announced the creation of the BAP and declared that it had the support of 32 out of 65 lawmakers in the Balochistan Assembly.[12]

On 16 May 2018, the party elected Jam Kamal Khan, former Federal Minister of State for Petroleum, as their leader.[13]

Elections

Election 2018

The party has only fought one election in it’s existence: the Pakistani general election, 2018. In the election it fielded 67 candidates on all of the general seats in Balochistan, of which 19 were successfully elected (15 PA, 4 NA).[14][15]

This result allowed the party to form the provincial government in the province. As well as this, they also aided the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in forming the federal government by supporting them with their 5 MNAs.[16]

Electoral performance

National Assembly

Election Leader Votes Seats Position Resulting government
# % # ±
2018 Jam Kamal Khan 319,348 0.60
5 / 342
 Increase 5 5th PTI coalition

Balochistan Assembly

Election Leader Votes Seats Position Resulting government
# % # ±
2018 Jam Kamal Khan 446,795 24.59
24 / 65
 Increase 24 1st BAP coalition

References

  1. ↑ "Jam Mir Kamal gets elected BAP chief, urges unity for Balochistan's rights". DAWN.COM. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  2. ↑ https://www.dawn.com/news/1413200
  3. ↑ @HamidMirPAK (26 March 2017). "Home Minister of Balochistan @PakSarfrazbugti saying a new political party will be announced in few days he is also claiming that next Prime Minister of Pakistan will come from Balochistan" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 "Bugti confirms new political party to be announced soon". March 24, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "PML-N dissidents, independents launch 'Balochistan Awami Party'". 29 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "Three Balochistan MNAs quit PML-N to join newly formed BAP". 5 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "4 MNA defect to BAP". 11 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "New party will be 'gift' to people of Balochistan: CM Bizenjo". 28 March 2018.
  9. ↑ https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1381816
  10. ↑ https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1382667
  11. ↑ https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2018/03/sadiq-sanjrani-pakistan-senate-chair-balochistan-180313095112786.html
  12. ↑ https://www.geo.tv/latest/188475-new-political-party-launched-in-balochistan
  13. ↑ https://www.dawn.com/news/1408175
  14. ↑ https://www.geo.tv/election/candidates/BAP
  15. ↑ https://www.geo.tv/election
  16. ↑ https://www.geo.tv/amp/205546

Jamal Kamal Khan was elected first presidend of the party after he resigned from his post of fedrel minister of Pakistan and joined BAP.

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