Return of the turncoats: a familiar tale in Balochistan politics

Recent years have seen tumultuous political conditions in Pakistan with no one party able to form a clear majority, particularly in Balochistan.

There is a prevalent tendency for political turncoats to switch parties frequently and keep close ties to the government for decades in Balochistan politics. Many ministers have held various ministerial positions and have consistently been favored by central-level parties, including the Jamalis, Magsis, Jam, Zehri, Khatran, and Domkis.

PPP’s Sarfraz Bugti elected Balochistan CM

As part of the previous provincial assembly, these figures won the majority of seats in the country under the newly formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

They joined forces with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and secured ministerial roles at the federal level, as well as assuming the Balochistan chief ministerial position.

The well-known characters in the province have not changed again. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) have been able to persuade their former allies to rejoin them. Prominent individuals like Jam Kamal, Sarfraz Bugti, Abdul Rehman Khatran, Shoaib Noshrwani, and Zahoor Buledi have tended to switch political parties without hesitation every five years.

14-member Balochistan cabinet takes oath today

Nationalist lawmakers committed to advancing democracy in the province, such as Sardar Atta Ullah Mengal, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, and Samad Khan Achakzai, have a history of serving in the Balochistan Assembly. Nevertheless, major parties like the PML-N and PPP tend to support opportunistic individuals in the province.

In a similar fashion, PTI formed Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Ain to challenge the ruling alliance in the province. However, the PTI ignored the long-standing grievances of the Baloch people during its last tenure.

The leadership of the PPP and PML-N has hailed the several political figures who have once again switched allegiances and allied themselves with these parties in Balochistan.

For example, just one day before the country’s general election was announced, Sarfaraz Bugti, the country’s acting interior minister, announced his resignation and joined the PPP. Next, he ran for office from the Dera Bugti district, which has historically been a stronghold of the Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti family and won.

Following his victory, Bugti became the apparent choice to run for Balochistan’s chief ministership. Bugti was nominated and took over as the province’s next chief minister without opposition, even though the PPP chose to ignore its veteran members.

General seats: Balochistan’s seven senators elected unopposed

Following his appointment, he oversaw the Senate election and successfully elected a number of senators from the province, including Aimal Wali Khan, the leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), and former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar running as an independent.

Two months following the general election, Bugti had challenges in naming his cabinet. In the early phase of his political career as Chief Minister, Bugti is having trouble establishing partnerships in the province, and there is speculation in political circles that the PML-N is vying for a larger share of ministries in Balochistan.

According to the province’s history, it has been difficult for any Chief Minister to hold onto office, particularly when it comes to allocating ministries in a way that appeases a large number of Provincial Assembly (MPA) members.

Navigating conflicting interests and assuring preferred ministries in the province are difficult steps in this process.

The coalition government’s capacity to navigate the complex issues in Balochistan remains uncertain. The province urgently requires stability and development, as it awaits practical solutions to its long-standing challenges. The ability to address these political hurdles by the politicians within the government alliances and growth for the province is a key question that still needs to be answered.

It is unclear how well the coalition government would be able to handle Balochistan’s complicated problems. While the province waits for practical solutions, stability and development are desperately needed.

One important question that remains unanswered is whether or not the politicians in the government coalitions will be able to overcome these political obstacles and promote progress for the province.

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