Sarfraz Bugti to take oath as Balochistan CM today

QUETTA: Following his “unopposed” election on Friday as Leader of the House in the Balochistan Assembly, Sarfraz Bugti, the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a former federal minister, will take the oath of office as Chief Minister of Balochistan today.

Sarfraz Bugti’s nomination for chief minister would be formally proclaimed at the province assembly meeting today at 11:00 a.m. After being named as his party’s CM nominee by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Bugti filed his nomination papers before the time ended on Friday.

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Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), such as Sardar Sarfaraz Chakar Domki and Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri, also endorse him.

Despite being nominated without opposition, Bugti still requires the backing of 33 legislators, thus the parliament will hold polling for the chief minister election today, according to Tahir Shah Kakar, secretary of the Balochistan parliament.

In December of last year, Bugti left his position as acting interior minister and joined the party headed by Bilawal. Prior to his victory today, Bugti made a commitment to work with all parties to bring about growth and prosperity in Balochistan, as well as to start initiatives to enhance governance and address other concerns.

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Speaking with reporters at the Balochistan Assembly on Friday following the filing of his nomination papers, he stated that the PPP was a dialogue-oriented party that consistently settled disputes via talks. He urged the irate populace to come along with the times and contribute to the nation’s advancement.

The chief minister emphasized that in order for the province to prosper, negotiations with the opposition parties are necessary. In the sake of the nation as a whole, he emphasized that constructive criticism will be accepted and cautioned against destructive politics.

Bugti declared that his door would remain open for discussions and that an agreement will be reached with the opposition to advance Balochistan. He promised to offer a road map for achieving sustainable development and addressing the province’s shared problems. The prime minister declared that he was unaware of the two-and-a-half-year government schedule. The PPP chairman and co-chairman were thanked by him for their nomination to the position of chief minister.