Sacked Balochistan CM says he’s ‘not shocked’

Internews/Quetta

Sacked Chief Minister of Pakistan’s troubled southwestern Balochistan province, Aslam Raisani, has said that his government was ambushed through a conspiracy because he had refused to hand over the Reko Diq gold and copper mines rather than the allegations of terrorism.

“They should have waited for four days or so for my return to Pakistan. Whatever has happened is not right. It will have serious repercussions as some people will say that if this happens to a pro-Pakistan Baloch, then what happens to others. It has not sent a good message at all,” he said, and stressed that he was “not at all shocked” over his sacking as “I knew something was in the offing”.

Speaking exclusively to Geo News in Cambridge, in a report broadcast yesterday, Raisani, who was present in the city with his family members after arriving in Cambridge, said that he regretted the loss of lives of Hazara Shia community who were killed by terrorists from the banned Sunni sectarian organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi but denied to take responsibility and instead questioned why other provincial governments had not been sacked.

He said no one from the Pakistani authorities consulted, discussed or called him prior to his sacking on Sunday night. He claimed that conspiracies against his government had started after he refused to be bribed over the issue of Reko Diq, the world’s largest gold mines in the resource rich Balochistan.

“I am not shocked at my sacking. Do I look shocked or worried? No! I am actually laughing at them as what they have done. I was prepared for this day for over three years. I was being pressurised to start negotiations with the global copper companies over Reko Diq. They offered me money and tried to bribe me but I refused to be bought, I refused to meet or entertain them,” he said.

Raisani claimed that he enjoyed the support of the majority of coalition partners. “The majority is with me, they are still supporting me. I gave my opponents a free hand to bring an in-house change if they wished to. I am with my partners whole-heartedly and I am thankful to them for the way they have supported me.”