National Party (Pakistan)

National Party

نيشنل پارٹی
National Party نيشنل پارٹی
Abbreviation	NP
President	Abdul Malik Baloch
Secretary-General	Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi
Founders	Abdul Hai Baloch; Abdul Malik Baloch; Hasil Bizenjo
Founded	2003
Merger of	Balochistan National Democratic Party (BNDP) ; Balochistan National Movement (Hayee) (BNM-H)
Headquarters	Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Student wing	Baloch Students Organization (Pajjar)
Ideology	Secularism; Social democracy; Baloch nationalism; Civic nationalism
Political position	Centre-left
National affiliation	Pakistan Democratic Movement
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
Senate	1 / 96
National Assembly	1 / 336
Balochistan Assembly	4 / 65
Election symbol
	Saw;
Party flag
	Politics of Pakistan; Political parties; Elections;

The National Party (Urdu: نيشنل پارٹی) is a social-democratic, centre-left political party in Pakistan. It is one of the largest parties active in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan, along with the Balochistan National Party. It traces its legacy from the Kalat State National Party of Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Mir Gul Khan Nasir and Mir Abdul Aziz Kurd, and is currently headed by Abdul Malik Baloch.^[1]

Founding

N.P was established in October 2003 when the non-tribal, essentially middle-class Balochistan National Democratic Party (BNDP) led by Hasil Bizenjo, son of the Baloch nationalist Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, merged with the non-tribal middle-class nationalist party Balochistan National Movemment (BNM) led by Dr. Abdul Hai Baloch. It is considered to be the successor of the Kalat National Party. Abdul Hai Baloch became the first chairman of the National Party and Hasil Bizenjo became the secretary general of the new party.^[4] In 2008, Abdul Malik Baloch was elected as the party president, and was the Chief Minister of Balochistan between 2013 and 2015.

Electoral history

Election boycott

The party boycotted the 2008 general elections as a protest against the military operation being conducted in the province at the time. However, Sanaullah Zehri and his followers decided to contest elections forming a faction called NP Parliamentarians.^[5] As a result, National Party won one provincial assembly seat with Sanuallah Zehri winning PB-33 Khuzdar-I.

Election 2013

The party participated in General elections of 2013 and secured victory on 11 seats of Balochistan Provincial Assembly and 1 seat of National Assembly. The government was formed in coalition with PKMAP and PML(N), with the party's MPA and then president Dr Abdul Malik Baloch heading the government as Chief Minister Balochistan. Now Hasil Bezenjo is the president after 4th National Congress held in Quetta in November 2015.

Congress 2014

The fourth congress of National Party was conducted on 8–10 November 2014. The elections were conducted by Abdullah Dayo, who was assigned as the Chief Election Commissioner of the party. Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo^[6]^[7]^[8] was elected party president, Dr. Yasin Baloch as Secretary General and Dr. Hassan Nasir as Deputy Secretary General. The congress also determined the program to organize party all across Pakistan. The party's constitution was also revised. Syed Mukhtar Bacha was elected as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Organizer, Ayub Malik as Punjab's Organizer and Ramzan Memon as Sindh's Organizer.