Mir Sarfraz Bugti (Urdu, Balochi: میر سرفراز بگٹی) is a Pakistani politician who is currently serving as the Chief Minister of Balochistan since March 2024. He belongs to the Pakistan People's Party. Prior to his current role, Bugti has served as Home and Tribal Affairs Minister of Balochistan.[1] Bugti also served as a senator of Pakistan from March 2015 to March 2021.[2]
On 17 August 2023, he took oath as Caretaker Interior Minister and resigned from the position on 15 December 2023.[3][4]
His father Mir Ghulam Qadir Masori Bugti was a tribal elder of the Masori sub-clan of the Bugti tribe who was a member of General Zia's Majlis-e-Shoora before becoming a part of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).[6] Mir Ghulam was known to be active against the sardari or neo-feudal system of Balochistan and being a political rival of Nawab Akbar Bugti.[5]
His brother Jan Mohammad Bugti has also been active in politics as a PPP candidate.[7]
In 2013, he won the Provincial Assembly elections from Constituency PB-24 as a representative of the Baloch community from Dera Bugti with a clear majority as an independent candidate by securing 10013 votes, and after elections joined PML (N).[8]
Sarfraz became Minister of Interior of Balochistan on 14 October 2013.
National politics as Caretaker Interior Minister
In August 2023, he took charge as the country's Caretaker Interior Minister.
In a BBC interview, Bugti claimed that the Indian agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was involved in funding and arming militants in Balochistan, but that it stopped doing so after its agent was arrested in Balochistan.[16][17]
Publications
“The Role of Intelligence Agencies in Balochistan” (Paper presented at a two days national workshop held in National Defence University, Islamabad, July 17-18, 2012).[18]
^Akbar, Malik Siraj (20 August 2016). "Why Modi's statements should be the least of our worries on Balochistan". Dawn News. Retrieved 18 August 2023. Instead of healing the Baloch people's wounds, the establishment has promoted a dangerous wave of hyper Pakistani nationalism. Hence, people like Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti spend most of their time questioning other people's patriotism and resort to bizarre ways to prove themselves as better Pakistanis than the rest.