Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) leader Nawabzada Gohram Bugti was arrested on Friday by Balochistan police from Bugti House in Dera Bugti.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the former provincial minister offered no resistance and voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.
The arrest came just hours before Gohram Bugti was scheduled to launch a long march from Dera Bugti to Quetta, protesting the continued detention of Baloch Yakjehti Committee's (BYC) female activists, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sami Din Baloch.
On April 1, Gohram Bugti had issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Balochistan government, warning that a long march would begin if the detained women were not released. Despite the warning, no action was taken, prompting Bugti to announce the protest for April 4.
Media reports confirm that the Deputy Commissioner of Dera Bugti ordered the arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), citing potential disruption. The SSP Dera Bugti stated that Bugti would be held in jail for 30 days.
In response, JWP leader Shahzain Bugti, brother of Gohram Bugti, addressed the media and announced plans to challenge the arrest in the Balochistan High Court.
Shahzain Bugti said the party’s future strategy would be finalised after consulting legal experts.
Nawabzada Gohram Bugti, 46, is a seasoned politician who served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan from August 2018 to August 2023.
He won the seat from PB-10 Dera Bugti on the JWP ticket. He is the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti, founder of the JWP, and the son of Nawab Talal Akbar Bugti.
On 22 March 2025, BYC leader Dr Mahrang Baloch, along with many other female activists, was arrested during a raid on a sit-in protest in Quetta. The Balochistan government accused her and other BYC activists of orchestrating an attack on Quetta Civil Hospital and inciting violence. Her arrest took place during a wider police crackdown on BYC demonstrations against enforced disappearances.
Reporter: Usman Khan