ISLAMABAD: Leader of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide Nawabzada Shazain Bugti announced on Sunday he was resigning from the federal cabinet only a few days ahead of a no-confidence vote that may topple the current administration.

Bugti, who was elected to the National Assembly from Balochistan’s NA-249 constituency in Dera Bugti, was appointed Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Reconciliation and Harmony in Balochistan last year in July. He held the status of a federal minister in the cabinet.

Balochistan has witnessed a low-intensity insurgency by separatist groups for decades, with the government launching military operations as well as targeted interventions to quell it. Bugti was appointed as special assistant as part of the government’s efforts to engage with the insurgent groups in the province.

He announced his decision to leave the cabinet after meeting an opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) delegation headed by its chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

“Keeping in mind the country’s political situation, I announce my resignation from the federal government’s cabinet,” he said during a joint media interaction with the PPP leader. “I announce my parting of ways with the government.”

Bugti maintained he had made commitments to the people of Balochistan regarding the issue of missing persons in the province. He added the JWP also informed the government recently that there were around 290,000 refugees in Balochistan who were helpless since 2005.

“We told the people that there will be peace in Balochistan,” he said. “However, the federal government only gave us assurances.”

Bugti said the expectations of the people of Balochistan from the federal government “suffered a setback,” forcing him to make the decision to leave the government.

He welcomed the PPP chairman while promising support to the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance which has been striving for the prime minister’s ouster.

“Whatever good we can do for the Pakistani nation, we will do it,” he added. “We stand with the PDM.”

The PPP leader said Bugti had taken a “brave and timely” decision to leave Khan’s cabinet, adding the government had not only disappointed the opposition and the masses but also its coalition partners.

He said the problems of Balochistan and other parts of the country would be solved when the “real representatives” of these areas were empowered to make decisions on behalf of the masses.