The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has strongly rejected reports claiming that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti is being replaced. PPP Balochistan President and Senator Sardar Muhammad Umar Gorgage dismissed the circulating claims as “irresponsible, misleading, and baseless.”
He clarified that neither the party leadership nor any organisational forum has discussed or considered any move to change the chief minister. “Such rumours are spread only to create unrest and misunderstanding, and they have no link with reality,” he said.
Senator Gorgage emphasized that the PPP remains committed to political stability, good governance, and continuity of public service in the province. He added that the coalition government is working closely with all partners and stakeholders on the agenda of stability and development.
The denials came after former provincial minister Dostain Domki claimed that the PPP had decided to bring a new chief minister in place of Sarfraz Bugti. Domki also alleged that the PPP and PML-N had agreed on a “two-and-a-half-year each” power-sharing formula for the chief minister’s post.
However, when Balochistan Pulse contacted senior PPP leadership, they confirmed that Sarfraz Bugti would continue as chief minister and dismissed the rumours as unfounded. Sources also clarified that the so-called “two-and-a-half-year formula” never included the chief minister’s position.
Earlier, provincial minister Mir Ali Hassan Zehri—considered a close ally of President Asif Ali Zardari—had openly criticised Bugti during a ceremony in Windar. Zehri had expressed reservations against the chief minister shortly after taking oath, but the matter was later resolved following intervention by President Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
Political differences within coalition governments are not new in Balochistan. In 2013, tensions over the chief ministership led to the resignation of Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, who was replaced by PML-N’s Nawab Sanaullah Zehri. In 2018, Zehri himself was forced to resign after facing internal opposition and a no-confidence move.
The crisis eventually paved the way for the formation of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), which led to Jam Kamal becoming chief minister. He too was later unseated due to dissent from within his own party, led by then Speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo.
Despite the historical pattern of political instability, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and his supporters remain confident that he will continue to lead the province.
