Balochistan Fully Prepared to Hold Local Government Elections, Says CM Bugti

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said the provincial government is fully prepared to hold the next local government elections and will not use any excuse or delaying tactic to avoid the polls.

Addressing a ceremony at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) office on Monday, where modern machinery was provided to local government institutions under the Municipal Services Initiative 2026, the chief minister said practical steps were being taken to strengthen the local government system, improve municipal services and modernise sanitation facilities across the province.

He said all municipal committees in Balochistan were being equipped with modern machinery and essential equipment in the first phase, while the initiative would be expanded to union councils, small towns and rural areas in the second phase.

CM Bugti said the existing local government system in Balochistan was completing its term in February 2027, after which local government elections would be held.

“Balochistan is fully prepared for the next local government elections and there will be no excuse or pretext for delaying them,” he said.

He said measures would be taken after the elections to further improve public facilities and institutional performance at the municipal committee level. Local government, he added, was the system with the most direct access to ordinary citizens, and strengthening it would improve the quality of governance.

The chief minister said Balochistan had limited human resources while public needs and the scope of municipal services were extensive. With the world moving towards modern technology and machinery, he said, an effective sanitation system could no longer rely solely on manual labour.

Under the first phase of the initiative, municipal committees are being provided with around 15 sewage suction trucks, 87 sanitation rickshaws, more than 350 garbage containers, 500 handcarts and over 700 dustbins, along with other machinery and equipment.

Bugti said handcarts and sanitation rickshaws were particularly important because many urban areas in Balochistan had narrow streets where large trucks could not reach.

He said the quantity of machinery and equipment would be increased in the second phase, while funds for district governments had also been enhanced to improve the resolution of public issues and provision of basic services at the local level.

Referring to the sanitation situation in Chaman, the chief minister said he and the chief secretary had witnessed garbage heaps measuring 12 to 13 feet in height during a recent visit to the city. The deputy commissioner informed them that the city did not have a designated dumping site.

Bugti said the deputy commissioner was directed to improve the situation, after which a comprehensive cleanliness drive was launched across Chaman. He said years-old accumulated waste was removed, resulting in a significant improvement in sanitation and waste disposal.

The chief minister urged citizens to begin cleanliness efforts from their homes and surrounding areas, saying the government could provide machinery and resources but public cooperation and participation were essential for an effective sanitation system.

He said new facilities were being provided to citizens and their utilisation and performance would also be monitored. Apps had been introduced to monitor sanitation services and address public complaints, enabling citizens to directly approach the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

Bugti warned that administrative officers and relevant local government staff would be held accountable for negligence in sanitation services and would face strict action.

Commenting on the recently launched metro rail service in Quetta, the chief minister said the service had provided a new transportation facility to the public. He rejected attempts to link a minor incident involving a few loose nuts and bolts with corruption, saying the new service should be given time to operate and improve.

He said constructive criticism helped the government correct its direction, but viewing every initiative negatively was inappropriate.

On the use of polythene bags, Bugti said shopping bags were a major source of pollution and a significant obstacle to effective sanitation. He directed the Local Government Adviser to personally supervise an anti-polythene bag campaign and conduct a four-month public awareness drive, after which a complete ban on polythene bags would be imposed across Balochistan.

The chief minister said the people of Balochistan had given the government an opportunity to serve them and it was now the responsibility of relevant institutions to use the machinery and resources effectively.

“The ordinary people of Balochistan, who shiver in winter and endure extreme heat in summer, should be able to practically feel that change is taking place in the province,” he said.

Bugti appreciated the efforts of Local Government Adviser Nawabzada Amir Hamza Zehri, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan and other officials, expressing hope that local government institutions would continue working with the same commitment to ensure better municipal and sanitation services.

Earlier, Chief Minister Bugti formally inaugurated the Local Government Strategic Plan, Municipal Services Initiative 2026, and inspected the machinery provided under the programme.

The ceremony was attended by provincial ministers Mir Shoaib Nosherwani, Mir Sadiq Umrani, Mir Saleem Khan Khosa, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Haji Ali Madad Jattak, Mir Asim Kurd Gelo and Malik Naeem Bazai, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Development Zahid Saleem, CM’s Adviser for Information and Political Affairs Shahid Rind, PDMA Director General Janibez Khan, Local Government Secretary Rauf Baloch, commissioners, senior officials and other guests.