Quetta [Balochistan], February 26 : Protestors from a coalition comprising Baloch, Pashtoon, and Hazara nationalist parties, alleging vote rigging in the recent elections, have declared intentions to relocate their ongoing demonstrations to the front of the Balochistan Assembly, coinciding with the swearing-in of newly elected members on February 28, Dawn reported.
The coalition, consisting of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), National Party (NP), and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), has been actively protesting across Quetta and other towns in the province for the past two weeks, highlighting concerns of irregularities in the February 8 elections.
Balochistan Governor Malik Abdul Wali Khan Kakar has called for the inaugural session of the new assembly on February 28, during which elected MPs will take their oaths and proceed to elect the speaker and deputy speaker. The outgoing assembly speaker, Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, will preside over the session and administer the oath to the lawmakers, as reported by Dawn.
A spokesperson for the coalition announced on Sunday the decision to conclude the 17-day sit-ins in front of the district returning office (DRO) and shift the protest to the Balochistan Assembly starting Wednesday. The spokesperson emphasized the continuation of the sit-ins until the restoration of what they claim are the "real results" of their candidates, allegedly changed in favour of candidates from other parties.
The relocation of the sit-in resulted in the reopening of roads around the DRO office, which were previously closed due to the protest.
PkMAP Balochistan President Abdul Qahar Wadan, NP leader Haji Atta Mohammad Bangulzai, BNP-M's Ghulam Nabi Marri, and HDP leader Qadir Ali Nayal, along with other leaders, expressed both satisfaction and disappointment. While they deemed their protests over the last two weeks successful, they expressed disappointment over the lack of official engagement with their grievances. The coalition intends to escalate its protest actions across Balochistan, planning sit-ins and rallies province-wide every Saturday.
Despite the disappointment in the non-acceptance of the mandate they believe was given to them by the people, the coalition leaders resolved to stage a protest in front of the Balochistan Assembly on Wednesday, later deciding on their future course of action, Dawn reported.
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