QUETTA: Amid rising speculation over a possible change in Balochistan’s provincial leadership, coalition partners Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have reiterated their full confidence in Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, dismissing rumours of his removal as unfounded.
Talk of a potential shift intensified after reports suggested that President Asif Ali Zardari had expressed dissatisfaction with the chief minister’s performance and allegedly declined to meet him during a recent trip to Dubai. The speculation quickly gained traction, prompting concerns of political instability in a province already grappling with complex governance and security challenges.
However, senior parliamentary leaders from both coalition parties acted promptly to dispel the rumours. Their statements came amid growing criticism from within PPP and PML-N ranks. Notable figures — including PPP’s Ali Hassan Zehri and Mir Liaquat Ali Lehri, and PML-N’s Nawab Changaiz Marri — have openly voiced concerns over what they view as Bugti’s failure to make meaningful governance improvements.
Despite these grievances, party leaders emphasised that the criticism reflects internal frustrations rather than a coordinated effort to unseat the chief minister. PML-N Parliamentary Leader Mir Saleem Khan Khosa and PPP Parliamentary Leader Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani categorically rejected Senator Mir Dostain Khan Domki’s claim that a change in leadership was imminent, calling it merely his personal viewpoint.
They stressed that no discussion on replacing the chief minister has taken place at the central or provincial levels within either party, nor is such a move being considered by the coalition at this time.
Speaking to reporters after the provincial assembly session, Khosa acknowledged ongoing challenges related to law and order, service delivery, and administrative inefficiencies. These issues, he said, were reviewed at length during an in-camera briefing. Khosa added that he had informed National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the controversy and anticipated that party leadership would hold Senator Domki accountable for issuing an unauthorised statement.
PPP’s Umrani echoed these sentiments, noting that while criticism exists, the coalition remains committed to its shared governance agenda. He cautioned that internal disagreements should not be mistaken for instability, emphasising that coalition politics in Balochistan require patience, compromise, and constant dialogue.
Both leaders reaffirmed that the government remains intact, unified, and focused on addressing Balochistan’s deep-rooted socio-economic and administrative challenges.
