Balochistan Awami Party

The Balochistan Awami Party (Urdu: بلوچستان عوامی پارٹی, lit. 'Balochistan People's Party') 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.[9]

Balochistan Awami Party
بلوچستان عوامی پارٹی
Balochistan People's Party
AbbreviationBAP
PresidentAbdul Quddus Bizenjo[1]
General SecretaryMir Asadullah Baloch[2]
SpokespersonDanesh Kumar[3]
Vice PresidentSamina Mumtaz Zehri[4]
Leader in National AssemblyKhalid Hussain Magsi[5]
FoundersSaeed Ahmed Hashmi[6]
Anwar ul Haq Kakar[7]
Founded29 March 2018 (2018-03-29)
Split fromPML(N)
PML(Q)
IdeologyPakistani nationalism
Baloch nationalism[8]
Federalism
Social democracy[8]
Progressivism[7]
Political positionCentre-left[8]
National affiliationPakistan Democratic Movement
Colors  Olive drab
Slogan‘Stronger Nation, Unified People.”
Senate
12 / 100
National AssemblyAssembly dissolved
Balochistan Assembly Assembly dissolved
KPK AssemblyAssembly dissolved
Election symbol
Cow[6]
Party flag
Website
Official website

The party emerged as the largest party in Balochistan as a result of the 2018 Pakistani general election. It leads a coalition government in the province and is also a part of the ruling coalition in the National Assembly. It also has 4 elected members in the KP 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.[10][11]

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 elect their candidate Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate Chairman, securing 57 out of 103 votes.[12]

Foundation

Following these events, rumours emerged of a new political party being formed. On 29 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.[13]

On 16 May 2018, the party elected Jam Kamal Khan, former Federal Minister of State for Petroleum, as their leader.[14]

Elections

2018 election

The party has only fielded candidates in one election since its founding: the 2018 Pakistani general election. In the election it fielded 67 candidates on all of the general seats in Balochistan, of which 19 were elected (15 PA, 4 NA).

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.[15]

On 28 March 2022, the party announced that they will support opposition parties in the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan.[16]

Electoral performance

Senate of Pakistan
Election Leader Seats Position Resulting government
# ±
2018 Sadiq Sanjrani
10 / 104
 Increase - 5th Opposition coalition
2021 Jam Kamal Khan
13 / 100
 Increase 3 4th PTI coalition

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. "BAP elects Quddus Bizenjo as president - Pakistan". Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  2. "Balochistan threatens street protest if funds not released by Centre". Daily Times (newspaper). 29 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  3. "BAP spokesman BAP accuses PDM of backstabbing". ARY News. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  4. "BAP leader asks Imran to stop anti-institution rant". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 30 October 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  5. "BAP parts ways with PTI, announces to support Opposition". The News International (newspaper). 28 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  6. "BAP's election symbol changed to 'cow'". Dawn. 10 June 2018.
  7. "Anwarul Haq Kakar, Saeed Hasmhi launch Balochistan Awami Party - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  8. "Bugti confirms new political party to be announced soon". Express Tribune. 24 March 2018.
  9. "PML-N dissidents, independents launch 'Balochistan Awami Party'". Dawn. 29 March 2018.
  10. Shah, Syed Ali (9 January 2018). "Sanaullah Zehri resigns as Balochistan chief minister amid political crisis". Dawn.
  11. Shah, Syed Ali (13 January 2018). "Abdul Quddus Bizenjo sworn in as new chief minister of Balochistan". Dawn.
  12. "Sadiq Sanjrani: Pakistan's first senate chair from Balochistan". Al Jazeera. 13 March 2018.
  13. "New political party launched in Balochistan". Geo News. 29 March 2018.
  14. "Jam Mir Kamal gets elected BAP chief, urges unity for Balochistan's rights". Dawn. 17 May 2018.
  15. "BAP announces support for PTI in National Assembly". Geo News. 31 July 2018.
  16. "No-confidence motion: BAP decides to support opposition". ARY NEWS. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
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