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DERA BUGTI, Dec 29 (APP):The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Khan Bugti, was formally bestowed with the title of Chief of the Bugti Tribes after being honored with the traditional turban (Dastar) by the Bugti tribes.
The “Dastar Bandi” (turban-tying) ceremony was performed by Nawabzada Zamran Saleem Akbar Khan Bugti, brother of Nawab Mir Aali Khan Bugti along with chiefs of various Bugti sub-tribes.
The ceremony was attended by a massive gathering of tribal elders, provincial ministers, and members of the National and Provincial Assemblies.
In his address, Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that the honor conferred upon him carried great responsibility. He assured the Bugti tribes that he would make every possible effort to meet their expectations and would stand by them with sincerity and commitment.
“The turban placed on my head today by the Bugti tribes is an amanat (trust). I promise to remain with my people with complete honesty and tireless effort while striving to fulfill their expectations,” he said.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his resolve to serve the Bugti community faithfully and emphasized that tribal leadership demands integrity, responsibility, and continuous struggle for the welfare of the people.
He added that the trust, confidence, and belief shown by the Bugti tribes would be repaid through sincere service. Emphasizing education as a priority, the Chief Minister noted that the Bugti community had lagged behind in the educational sector. He highlighted his past efforts in facilitating educational opportunities for children from Balochistan, including Bugti students, in prestigious institutions such as Lawrence College and Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur.
The Chief Minister also thanked the Prime Minister for approving a Danish School in the area, adding that tenders had already been completed and construction would be finalized soon. He informed the audience that a grand building was under construction at the same location to accommodate 300 children from the Bugti tribes. Additionally, he said an endowment fund had been established at the American School to provide quality education to local children.
Calling the chieftainship a heavy responsibility, Mir Sarfraz Bugti said he accepted the role due to the will and trust of the Bugti tribes. He pledged to serve the community day and night and to work toward resolving issues within the Bugti tribes as well as with neighboring tribes through dialogue and reconciliation. “In every matter, I will move toward peace and positive solutions,” he assured.
The Chief Minister warned that the Baloch nation was being pushed toward a futile conflict. He added that violence could never help the Baloch achieve their objectives and reaffirmed that their destiny was firmly tied to Pakistan. He urged Baloch youth on the mountains to abandon the “futile path of violence.”
He urged them to return and join national mainstream, cautioning that the state knew how to establish its authority when necessary. He strongly condemned the killing of unarmed civilians, laborers, engineers, doctors, and Punjabi workers, as well as the harassment of women, declaring that such acts were against Baloch traditions.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the Baloch people were custodians of their traditions and would not allow anyone to impose ideology at gunpoint. He reiterated his commitment to upholding the writ of the state and declared his unwavering support for victims of oppression, including a woman from Musakhel whose husband and son were killed.
“You will always find me standing with the oppressed and against the oppressor,” he said, adding that standing with the vulnerable had been a tradition of his family.