Shahzain Bugti to contest against Sarfraz Bugti

ISLAMABAD: Former federal minister and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) President Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti on Monday announced that he would contest upcoming general elections in Balochistan against Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti, who belonged to Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), had been interior minister in the caretaker cabinet and resigned from the cabinet last week to contest February 8, 2024 polls.

“I will consult my people who always give intelligent advice before filing nomination papers since it has been our ritual,” Shahzain said. 

In an informal chat with ‘The News’ on Monday evening from his hometown, the JWP president, without taking the name of Sarfraz Bugti, said that switching parties makes no difference since Balochistan has its own traditions.

“I will contest as candidate of Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti’s JWP party and our candidates in the polls would make adjustment, if needed according to the situation of their respective constituencies. We will prefer to have cooperation with the parties and people who have been maintaining neat and clean record,” he said.

Former interim interior minister Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti joined the PPP on Monday, while Shahzain opted not to comment on his joining the PPP. “Let the filing of the nomination papers start, I would decide to contest for the National and Balochistan assemblies from both or one constituency.”

To a query, he said that he would contest from his native constituency which consisted of four districts previously and now another district has been added to it. Dera Bugti, Kolooh, Sibi and Harnai districts constituted this seat, which would be NA-253. Now Ziarat district has been made part of this single constituency.

Earlier, it was spread over 20,000 kms and now the area of about 30,000 kms will constitute this constituency in 2024 polls. Five constituencies of Balochistan Assembly would fall in one National Assembly seat, he added.

It is pertinent to mention that Shahzain Bugti was Special Assistant to the PM (SAPM) on Reconciliation and Harmony in Balochistan in the PTI government but quitted the post on March 27, 2022, a day before tabling no-trust motion against former prime minister Imran Khan. Later, he joined the PDM government of Shahbaz Sharif as federal Minister for Narcotics Control.

Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti is the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti who was assassinated during the Musharraf-led government after developing serious differences with the then government on certain actions. On the other hand, Sarfraz Bugti is eying for the chief minister’s slot of Balochistan.