Balochistan home minister removed

In a move that is bound to shakeup the political and administrative landscape of Balochistan, an election tribunal has denotified Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau and removed him from office.

This decision came after Mir Saeed Langove of the Jamiatul Ulema e Islam (JUI) filed a petition accusing the now former minister of electoral fraud.

Advocate Akram Shah, the counsel for Mir Saeed Langove, spoke at length outside the court, appreciating the judgment of the tribunal.

The body uncovered significant irregularities in the electoral process and ordered repolling at seven polling stations within Mir Zia Langau's constituency. Consequently, Mir Zia Langau is no longer serving as Balochistan's home minister. "Justice has prevailed," Saeed Langove declared.

In another development, Gohram Bugti of the Jamhoori Watan Party has contested the election victory of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti. He claims that Sarfaraz Bugti's position in the caretaker cabinet should have rendered him ineligible to run for office.

The petition also accuses Bugti of manipulating the election by placing favourable polling staff and achieving suspiciously high vote counts in specific areas.

Gohram Bugti is seeking thumb verification of voters and has urged the tribunal to declare the PB-10 seat vacant, which would lead to a by-election. The election tribunal, however, rejected Gohram Bugti's petition against the incumbent chief minister.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti recently faced an election challenge from Nawabzada Gohram Bugti, revealed Syed Jameel Agha, the counsel for the CM. He told the Express Tribune that Sarfaraz secured 53,000 votes, while Gohram received 27,000 votes from Dera Bugti district of Balochistan during the February 8 elections.

Gohram Bugti raised concerns about 38 polling stations, alleging that more votes were cast than the registered voter ratio, suggesting electoral irregularities. However, Sarfaraz Bugti's lawyer pointed out that the CM had resigned before the election schedule was announced, a fact that led the court to dismiss the case as inappropriate.

Despite the challenge, Sarfaraz Bugti remains in his position as chief minister. "I do not think this case would be challenged in the apex court," Advocate Agha predicted.

As for Mir Ziaullah Langau, he also served as the Balochistan home minister from 2018 to 2023, and was recently elected as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Khaliqabad district in Kalat.