# Balochistan Assembly drops resolution to abolish Sardari system, Speaker says 1976 law already did it

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/politics/balochistan-assembly-drops-resolution-to-abolish-sardari-system-speaker-says)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 27 Oct 2026
Updated: 27 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 27 Oct 2026

> JI's Hidayatur Rehman wanted the titles 'Sardar' and 'Nawab' banned too. The Speaker disposed of the motion, tempers flared, and the house was adjourned to 10 November for want of quorum.

A resolution calling for the immediate abolition of the **Sardari system** in Balochistan was disposed of in the provincial assembly in Quetta on Monday, after Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai ruled that the system had already been abolished by law in **1976**. The house was then adjourned until **10 November** for lack of quorum, [Dawn reported](https://www.dawn.com/news/2040072/balochistan-assembly-shelves-resolution-against-sardari-system).

## What the resolution asked for

Jamaat-i-Islami MPA Hidayatur Rehman Baloch moved the resolution. It sought two things:

- an end to the Sardari system across Balochistan, and
- a ban on the titles "Sardar" and "Nawab" in writing and speech.

## Why the Speaker set it aside

Speaker Achakzai said a review of legal and court records showed that legislation abolishing the Sardari system was passed and enforced in 1976, and applies to the whole country. He added that the Balochistan High Court had ruled on the matter and that the **Federal Constitutional Court upheld those rulings on 6 March 2026**. On that basis he disposed of the resolution, meaning it will not be voted on.

## Heated exchanges

Rehman objected that the resolution was on the agenda and said he would correct it and bring it back. Opposition Leader Mir Younis Aziz Zehri said the matter was closed once the Speaker had ruled, and treasury members backed him. The two traded sharp remarks.

Parliamentary Secretary Agha Umer Ahmedzai defended the system as centuries old and said abuses by individuals should be named rather than all Sardars blamed. Parliamentary Secretary Nawabzada Zarain Khan Magsi said anyone wanting to pursue it should table a fresh resolution. The Speaker said Rehman's point, that the 1976 law should actually be implemented, still deserved a hearing.

## What it means

The 1976 law has been on the books for half a century, yet the debate shows the question in Balochistan is enforcement, not legislation. Rehman can return with a reworded resolution focused on implementing the existing law when the assembly meets again on 10 November.

For more from the province, see our [Quetta coverage](/news/pakistan) and the [Quetta business directory](/businesses/hospitals/quetta).

## Frequently asked questions

**Was the Sardari system abolished in Pakistan?**

Yes, by law in 1976, according to Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, who cited that law when he disposed of the new resolution on 26 October 2026.

## Sources

- Balochistan Assembly shelves resolution against Sardari system (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2040072/balochistan-assembly-shelves-resolution-against-sardari-system

How to cite: "Balochistan Assembly drops resolution to abolish Sardari system, Speaker says 1976 law already did it", Searchable, 27 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/politics/balochistan-assembly-drops-resolution-to-abolish-sardari-system-speaker-says