QUETTA: The long-awaited oath taking ceremony for members of the Balochistan cabinet has been put off once again.

On Wednesday, the Governor House PRO had announced on social media that the ceremony would be held today (Thursday), although the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and Services and General Administration Depart­ment (S&GAD) had issued no official notification in this regard.

But later on Wednesday night, he issued a statement saying that the “ceremony on Thursday has been cancelled”, and did not announce a new date.

Sources say the delay is due to disagreements over the distribution of ministries among the two major parties — PPP and PML-N.

The cabinet’s formation has been delayed by nearly a month and a half due to CM Sarfraz Bugti’s absence, who had been abroad to inquire after his ailing brother.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024