The Baloch Republican Party (BRP) has rejected the existence of any position titled “Chief of Bugti” within the Bugti tribe, calling the recent official turban-tying ceremony of Sarfraz Bugti under that title contrary to Bugti tribal traditions and structure.
In a statement issued to the media, BRP central spokesperson Sher Muhammad Bugti said the Bugti tribe is not a single-unit structure but is composed of six distinct branches. He explained that the Masuri branch one of the six is further divided into three sub-clans: Nohkani, Bishkwani and Jaffarani.
The spokesperson said the individual being officially referred to as “Chief of Bugti” belongs to the Jaffarani sub-clan of the Masuri branch. While acknowledging that the Jaffarani sub-clan does have its own internal leadership position, known as takari, he questioned whether Sarfraz Bugti was selected for that role through traditional tribal consensus or whether he was being imposed through official patronage.
According to Sher Muhammad Bugti, information suggests that other claimants to the Jaffarani takari sons of Sarfraz Bugti’s cousins were taken into custody by state authorities, after which a turban-tying ceremony was conducted for a position that, he said, has no existence in Bugti tribal tradition.
The BRP spokesperson further said that if any official wished to confer an honorary title on Sarfraz Bugti, such gestures should not be associated with Baloch or Bugti tribal customs, which he said do not recognize the position of a single “Chief of Bugti.”
He said history shows that following the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, the state first announced the dismantling of the tribal system but later attempted to impose alternative tribal leadership through state-backed figures. According to him, those efforts failed to gain acceptance within the tribe.
Sher Muhammad Bugti said the current attempt to elevate Sarfraz Bugti through official positions and what he termed a self-styled tribal title reflects a continuation of past policies, which he said have repeatedly failed to represent the will and traditions of the Bugti tribe.
