QUETTA: The coalition partners in Balochistan have dismissed rumours of a possible change in provincial leadership, confirming their confidence in Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti amid mounting speculation and internal criticism.
In this regard, the reports circulating in recent days suggested that President Asif Ali Zardari had expressed reservations over Bugti’s performance.
The speculation intensified after claims that the president did not meet the chief minister during a recent visit to Dubai, prompting talk of an imminent shift in the province’s political landscape.
Furthermore, the senior leaders from both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), however, moved quickly to counter the rumours.
They stressed that the chief minister continues to enjoy the trust and support of the coalition partners, and that no discussion has taken place at the leadership level regarding a change in the provincial government.
Moreover, the clarification came amid public criticism from some PPP and PML-N figures, including PPP leaders Ali Hassan Zehri and Mir Liaquat Ali Lehri, along with PML-N’s Nawab Changaiz Marri.
These leaders expressed dissatisfaction over what they described as the chief minister’s limited progress in improving governance and tackling persistent challenges in the province.
In this sense, despite these statements, senior parliamentary leaders say the grievances reflect internal frustration rather than a coordinated effort to remove the chief minister.
The PML-N Parliamentary Leader Mir Saleem Khan Khosa and PPP Parliamentary Leader Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani rejected Senator Mir Dostain Khan Domki’s assertion that a leadership change was imminent, calling it his personal view.
They reasserted that neither party’s central leadership has authorised any discussion on replacing Bugti, nor do coalition members consider such a step necessary at this point.
Khosa said Balochistan continues to face serious challenges in law and order, service delivery, and administrative capacity.
These concerns, he noted, were discussed in detail during an in-camera briefing. He added that he has informed National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq about the controversy and expects the party to seek clarification from Senator Domki regarding his unauthorised comments.
He described political disagreements as routine, especially in a province dealing with deep-rooted structural issues, cautioning that such debates should not be mistaken for instability.
