ISLAMABAD, Jan 24, Reuter: The first major controversy of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s rule ended on Tuesday when a provincial official declined to appeal a court decision that went against one of her allies.

A spokesman for the Baluchistan Government said it would not appeal against a court order on. Monday that restored the dissolved provincial assembly.

The assembly was suddenly dissolved last month and the opposition charged that Bhutto had conspired to keep an ally in power. Bhutto rejected the accusations.

Four judges unanimously agreed that the dissolution of the legislature in Pakistan’s largest but least populated province was unconstitutional and was done without lawful authority.

Baluchistan’s advocate general filed an application to suspend the order and leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. He reversed that decision on Tuesday saying he had no intention of filing an appeal.

The desert province bordering

Tran and Afghanistan has been governed by a caretaker Chief Minister since December 22, one week after Governor Mohammad Musa dissolved the assembly on the binding advice of Chief Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

The affair, which broke out two weeks after Bhutto came to power following 11 years of military rule, sparked protest strikes in the Baluchistan capital, Quetta.

A diplomatic source said the court order and the absence of appeal showed that “the rule of law is at work and a neutral body exists that takes difficult decision.”

Bhutto had advised the opposition to take the matter to court instead of making accusations of conspiracy.

Last month, Bhutto, 35, said the dissolution was constitutional but said her Pakistan People’s party would not interfere. Political analysts said the dissolution saved Jamali, whose coalition included Bhutto’s party from losing a vote of confidence.

Bhutto rejected accusations by the opposition Islamic Democratic Alliance that she conspired to keep Jamali in power. She said neither Musa nor Jamali had consulted the federal government or informed it at the time of dissolution.

“This stage of the crisis is over,” the diplomatic source said.

Pakistani newspapers said on Tuesday that with the assembly restarted Jamali was sure to be ousted in a vote of no confidence.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 27, 1989