Bugti | Pakistan

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected on Wednesday Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s petition seeking the postponement of local government elections in Quetta that were scheduled to be held on December 28. Bugti had filed the petition on Monday, and informed sources told Dawn that he cited the precarious law and order situation in the provincial capital and the suspension of internet services as reasons for postponing the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) elections. In its written order today, seen by Dawn, the ECP said the plea was being rejected for “being devoid of force” and that the electoral body had decided to hold local government elections in Quetta on the already scheduled date of Dec 28. However, in the majority decision, one of the six members of the commission that considered the plea was in favour of the postponement of local government elections. In its order, the ECP directed the Balochistan government to assist the commission and “all other functionaries who have bee...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday filed a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), seeking the postponement of the local government elections in Quetta that were scheduled to be held on December 28. Informed sources told Dawn that in the petition, Bugti cited the precarious law and order situation in the provincial capital and the suspension of internet services as the reasons for postponing the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) elections. He also said people have migrated due to winters, affecting voter participation. Earlier, the Balochistan government had requested the election commission to postpone the polls, citing similar reasons stated in today’s petition. The request was turned down. In other districts of Balochistan, local government elections were held three years ago, and the current bodies’ term would expire in nine months, the sources said. It is worth noting that the ECP completed all preparations for holding local body elections in Quetta, and the printing ...

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday asserted that no group of armed militants could impose its ideology on the 250 million citizens of Pakistan. The security situation in Balochistan has worsened in recent months, as militants, long involved in a low-level insurgency, have stepped up the frequency and intensity of their attacks. In February, nearly 62 per cent of the total terrorism-related deaths in the country occurred in Balochistan. Speaking during a conference in Quetta, CM Bugti emphasised that peace was steadily returning to Balochistan and reaffirmed the state’s unwavering support for its people against forces seeking to destabilise the province. Bugti described Balochistan as the heart of Pakistan, without which the nation was incomplete. He lamented the lack of attention given to the province’s positive realities and the limited recognition of its voices. The chief minister condemned the spread of anti-state narratives. “Balochistan faces challenges, but poverty and underdevelop...

International human rights organisation Amnesty International on Tuesday called upon Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti to “release all detained Baloch activists”. In March, Dr Mahrang Baloch and other Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) members were arrested for “attacking” the Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence”, a day after the group faced a police crackdown while protesting against alleged enforced disappearances. The BYC is a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018. “I urge you [Balochistan CM] to release all Baloch activists targeted solely for exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” the sample letter by Amnesty read. It called on CM Bugti to drop all charges and overturn detention orders against Baloch activists targeted solely for exercising their rights. “End the wider crackdown against activists and protesters across the province by allowing them to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expre...

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti on Thursday said Pakistan was fighting a full-fledged “intelligence-driven war” funded by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and carried out through “Indian proxies”. The security situation in Balochistan has deteriorated, with militants escalating attacks as part of a long-running insurgency. Last month, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry accused India of activating its “assets” post-Pahalgam to intensify terrorism in Pakistan, citing “irrefutable evidence” of state-sponsored attacks directed by Indian military personnel. He said “credible intelligence” showed India tasked groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban and other militant cells to ramp up activity. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, Bugti referred to the attacks in his province and said: “This is a completely Raw-funded intelligence-driven war against the state of Pakistan.” He said India changed its narrative after suffering a crushing blow...