JWP's Shahzain Bugti to contest polls against PPP's Sarfraz Bugti

• Shahzain says switching parties doesn't make difference. 
• Says JWP poll candidates to make adjustments if needed. 
• Former BAP leader Sarfraz Bugti announces joining PPP. 

ISLAMABAD: Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) President Shahzain Bugti said he would contest the upcoming general elections in Balochistan against his political rival Sarfraz Ahmad Bugti, who will now contest polls with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket.

“I will consult my people who always give intelligent advice before filing nomination papers since it has been our ritual,” said Shahzain, who is eyeing the chief minister’s slot in Balochistan, during an informal chat with The News on Monday.

The JWP president, without taking the name of Sarfraz, said that switching parties makes no difference since Balochistan has its own traditions.

Sarfraz, former caretaker interior minister and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader, joined the PPP just days after he resigned from office to contest the upcoming polls — slated to take place on February 8, 2024. 

“Respected leader Asif Ali Zardari came to Turbat and directed me to join PPP,” said Sarfraz, as he expressed delight to be entering into the general elections with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led party's support.

Meanwhile, the JWP president said he will contest as a candidate of Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti’s JWP party, adding that the party's candidates in the polls would make adjustments if needed, according to the situation of their respective constituencies. 

“We will prefer to have cooperation with the parties and people who have been maintaining neat and clean records,” he said.

Shahzain further said he would contest from his native constituency which consisted of four districts previously and now another district has been added to it. Dera Bugti, Kolooh, Sibi and Harnai districts constituted this seat, which would be NA-253. Now Ziarat district has been made part of this single constituency.

Earlier, it was spread over 20,000 kilometres and now the area of about 30,000km will constitute this constituency in 2024 polls. Five constituencies of the Balochistan Assembly would fall in one National Assembly seat, he added.

Shahzain Bugti was a special assistant to the prime minister on reconciliation and harmony in Balochistan in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, but quit the post on March 27, 2022, a day before tabling a no-trust motion against former prime minister Imran Khan.

Later, he joined the Pakistan Democratic Government (PDM) led by Shehbaz Sharif as federal minister for narcotics control.

Shahzain is the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti who was assassinated during the General (retd) Pervez Musharraf-led government after developing serious differences with the then-government on certain actions.