Pakistan: Dr Abdul Malek elected Balochistan chief minister

Islamabad: Dr Abdul Malek, leader of the National Party, was elected unopposed chief minister of southwestern Balochistan province on Saturday, according to the provincial assembly officials.

He was nominated for the post by federal ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and its political allies in the sensitive province.

No other candidate filed nomination papers for the slot with the provincial assembly secretariat in Quetta, capital of the province.

The unopposed election of Abdul Malek will be formally declared at a special session of the Balochistan assembly in Quetta on Sunday.

Malek told media representatives he would make every possible effort to bring peace to the province plagued by a low-scale separatist insurgency involving ethnic Baloch militant groups.