Sarfraz Bugti, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former federal minister, Saturday was elected as the new "unopposed" as Leader of the House in the Balochistan Assembly after receiving 41 votes in his favour. Bugti will take oath as Balochistan chief minister today with the swearing-in ceremony to be held at the Governor House at 3pm where Balochistan Governor Abdul Wali Kakar will administer the oath. Sarfraz Bugti's nomination as chief minister was officially announced during the provincial assembly's session today, according to Radio Pakistan. The former federal minister submitted his nomination papers before the deadline's end on Friday after his party's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari named him as their CM nominee. He is also supported by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri, and Sardar Sarfaraz Chakar Domki The assembly would hold polling for the CM election today, as Bugti still needs the support of 33 lawmakers despite being nominated unopposed, said Balochistan Assembly secretary Tahir Shah Kakar. Bugti resigned as the caretaker interior minister in December last year and joined the Bilawal-led party.

Ahead of his election today, Bugti has pledged to take all the parties on board for development and prosperity in Balochistan and launch efforts to improve governance as well as resolve other issues. Talking to journalists in the Balochistan Assembly after submitting his nomination papers on Friday, he said the PPP believed in dialogue and always resolved issues through negotiations. He appealed to the disgruntled people to join the mainstream and play their role in the development of the country. The chief minister emphasised the need for talks with the opposition parties for the development of the province. He said positive criticism would be welcomed and urged that destructive politics be avoided in the broader interest of the country. Bugti said a consensus would be developed with the opposition to bring Balochistan forward and his door would always be open for talks. He said a roadmap would be shared for sustainable development and resolving the common challenges of the province. The chief minister said he had no idea of the two-and-a-half-year government formula. He thanked the PPP chairman and co-chairman for nominating him for the chief minister’s slot.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)