QUETTA: The political landscape of Balochistan seems to be undergoing a shift again, with several key figures who had recently aligned with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) now moving towards the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which has recently been labelled with the epithet “king’s party” by its foes and some past allies.

The departure of Mir Saleem Ahmed Khoso — a former minister in Jam Kamal Khan Alyani’s coalition government in Balochistan — from the PPP just months after joining the party only reinforces the growing anticipation by some that the PML-N could be poised to lead the provincial government.

This optimism is fuelled by last month’s return of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif from London, with many attributing the renewed interest in joining his party to the relief in cases and other favourable developments for the three-time prime minister upon his homecoming.

Mr Khoso — who was elected MPA in the 2018 general elections on BAP’s ticket from the Sohbatpur district — says he will make the announcement about joining another party after consulting his family and political friends.

Several political bigwigs leaning towards ‘king’s party’ after Nawaz’s return

Appointed to the important portfolio of revenue, Mr Khoso played a pivotal role in Mr Alyani’s provincial cabinet. He remained loyal to Mr Alyani even after a no-confidence motion was tabled by a group of BAP’s provincial lawmakers, along with opposition parties BNP-Mengal and JUI-F.

After Mr Alyani’s resignation as the chief minister, Mr Khoso stood by his side and did not join the new coalition government led by Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo.

However, beginning late last year, some political bigwigs from Balochistan joined the PPP, apparently anticipating the party’s leadership in the province after new elections. Those names included Mr Khoso, Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Mir Rauf Rind, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hasni, Tahir Mehmood, and Nawabzada Jamal Khan Raisani.

During a recent visit to Quetta, senior PML-N leader and former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq held meetings with key figures, including Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani of the Balochistan Awami Party. The discussions were aimed at extending invitations to join PML-N to form a strong government after the elections.

Mir Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, the president of PML-N’s Balochistan chapter, announced the imminent visit of Nawaz Sharif, along with party leaders Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, to Quetta.

Mr Mandokhail hoped that several former members of National and provincial assemblies, along with influential tribal and political leaders, would join the PML-N after meeting Nawaz Sharif.

Although Saleem Ahmed Khoso cited differences with the PPP’s provincial president, Mir Changez Khan Jamali, as the reason for his resignation, political observers speculate that his departure is part of a larger trend, with several politicians gearing up to join PML-N.

Notably, Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani, who recently met with Ayaz Sadiq and was invited to join PML-N, last week visited PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif at his residence in Lahore, along with Mir Humayun Aziz Kurd, a federal minister in the 2008-13 PPP government.

Sources said that Mr Shehbaz had invited Mr Raisani to join PML-N. However, Mr Raisani told him that he would decide after consulting political colleagues and close associates.

Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani’s political journey has seen him traverse between parties, from being the president of PPP’s Balochistan chapter to later joining PML-N and then the BNP-Mengal, on whose ticket he contested the 2018 general elections but lost.

His upcoming decision on joining PML-N again is anticipated to have repercussions in the evolving political landscape of Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2023