As the dust settles following the 2024 general elections, the contest for CM in Balochistan is intensifying. On Monday, several prominent candidates from different political parties, including Sanaullah Zehri from the PPP, Jam Kamal Khan from the PML-N, Nawab Aslam Raisani from the JUI-F, and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani from the BAP, emerged as strong contenders for this highly sought-after provincial post.
Multi-party Contest
The question of which political party will emerge victorious in Balochistan remains unanswered as negotiations and alliances continue to unfold. There is an expectation that PPP, PML-N, and JUI-F will form a coalition government to appoint CM in Balochistan. However, the PML-N is actively seeking to attract independent members to their ranks.
Several political parties are approaching six newly elected independent members of the Balochistan Assembly to gain their support. Former caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has dismissed rumors of his appointment as CM in Balochistan. He stated that discussions with political parties are ongoing to form a new government, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Bugti did, however, express his willingness to assume a role if his party assigns him one.
Post-election Protests
An alliance of four parties representing Baloch, Pashtoon, and Hazara nationalists recently announced a shutter down strike in Balochistan. They have made it clear that the strike will continue until the withdrawal the “changed results.”
The alliance, composed of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), PTI, and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), has also sought cooperation from other political parties to ensure the success of their strike against the contested election outcome. Their aim was to exert pressure on ECP and the establishment to respect the mandate of the people of Balochistan.
Later on, the National Party responded to the call for protest against alleged rigging by observing a complete shutterdown strike in Turbat and other areas. Throughout the day, all markets and private banks in Turbat remained closed, and there was minimal intra-city traffic.
