DERA BUGTI: Baloch­is­tan Chief Minister Mir Sar­fraz Ahmed Bugti on Monday formally assumed responsibilities as the eighth chief of the Bugti tribes.

The position is the highest rank within the Bugti tribe after Nawab Aali Bugti, who heads all six Bugti clans and was chosen as the Nawab following the death of his grand­father, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

According to historical records, the title of Chief of Bugti was conferred on Mir Sarfraz Bugti’s grandfather in the early 1800s, reflecting a long-standing tradition of tribal leadership and governance within the Bugti community.

The turban-tying (Dastar Bandi) ceremony was held in the Bekar area of Dera Bugti district and was attended by tribal chiefs, elders and pro­minent figures from the Bug­ti tribes. Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti was formally adorned with the turban, marking his official elevation as Chief of the Bugti tribes.

Members of the Nawab Bugti family, including Nawab­­zada Zamran Saleem Akbar Bugti, were also present.

Addressing the gathering, Mir Sarfraz Bugti called for dialogue and negotiations with the state, urging armed Baloch groups to abandon violence and return to the national mainstream. He said the Baloch nation was being pushed into a futile war and stressed that no political or national objectives could be achieved through violence.

He appealed particularly to Baloch youths who have taken to the mountains to reconsider their path and opt for talks with the state. “I make this appeal on behalf of the state and the government to return and join national institutions. Other­wise, the state knows how to establish its writ,” he said.

The chief minister thanked the Bugti tribes for placing their trust in him, saying the turban was not merely an honour but a sacred responsibility. “This turban is a trust that demands justice, courage, brotherhood, love and sincerity. I promise to stand by you with honesty, hard work and full dedication, and I will never disappoint my people,” he said.

He said the trust reposed in him would be repaid thro­ugh dedicated service, parti­cularly in education. He not­­­ed that the Bugti community had lagged behind in education and said he had already facilitated the admis­sion of several children, including those from Bugti tribes, to institutions such as Lawrence College and Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur.

Mr Bugti said he had accepted the role of Chief of the Bugti tribes with a deep sense of responsibility and pledged round-the-clock service to his people. He vowed to resolve issues faced by Bugti and neighbouring tribes through dialogue and reconciliation, and to pursue constructive solutions.

Condemning violence against civilians, he said killing unarmed people, labourers, Punjabi workers, engineers and doctors, as well as harassment of women, was against Baloch traditions. “We are custodians of Baloch traditions and cannot allow anyone to impose their ideology at gunpoint,” he said, adding that the writ of the state must be upheld at all costs.

Earlier, tribal elders formally honoured Mir Sarfraz Bugti as Chief of the Bugti tribes, with the turban placed on his head by Nawabzada Zamran Saleem Akbar Khan Bugti, brother of Nawab Mir Aali Khan Bugti, along with chiefs of various Bugti sub-tribes.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2025