Zia Langove sworn in as Balochistan's home minister

QUETTA: Balochistan Awami Party's Mir Ziaullah Langove took oath as the provincial home minister on Wednesday, filling a post that had been vacant since August 2024.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Governor House in Quetta, where Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail administered the oath to the newly appointed minister.

Senior officials attend ceremony

The event was attended by Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti along with several provincial ministers, including Asim Kurd Gello, Haji Ali Madad Jattak, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, and Raheela Hamid Khan Durrani. Senator Dinesh Kumar, Balochistan police chief Mohammad Tahir, and senior officials and secretaries were also present at the ceremony.

Home and tribal affairs portfolio assigned

Chief Minister Bugti assigned the home and tribal affairs department to Langove under Rule 5 of the Balochistan Government Rules of Business. An official notification confirming the portfolio assignment was also issued by the governor.

Langove, who was elected from the PB-36 Kalat constituency, had been de-notified on August 21, 2024. Since his de-notification, the home minister's post had remained vacant, with the department operating under the direct charge of the chief minister.

The appointment of Langove as home minister is significant as the home department is considered one of the most critical portfolios in Balochistan, a province that faces a range of security challenges. The portfolio had been without a dedicated minister for approximately seven months before Langove's swearing-in on Wednesday.

With the home and tribal affairs departments now under Langove's charge, the Balochistan cabinet has a dedicated minister overseeing internal security and tribal matters in the province once again.