Haji Gulbar Khan takes oath as new GB chief minister
Pakistan
The PTI ally in GB Assembly says majority was forcibly converted into a minority
GILGIT-BALTISTAN (Dunya News) - The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Thursday elected Haji Gulbar as new chief minister of the province. Governor Syed Mehdi Shah administered his oath on Thursday.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) backed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) forward bloc candidate who bagged 19 votes.
After voting, which started around 12 noon, the speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly announced results of the election. A brief ceremony in his honour was also held in Governor house. Haji Gulbahar Khan hails from remote district of Dimair and was first elected as member of Gilgit Baltistan assembly in 2009. He was holding the portfolio of Health Minister before becomg CM.
The PML-N and the PPP had announced their support for Haji Gulbar Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) forward bloc for the post, while three members of the PTI like-minded group who had submitted their nomination papers for the post of chief minister late at night announced boycott of the election.
Candidates were told they could withdraw nomination papers till 10am on Thursday. The PTI ally in the GB Assembly (Like-minded group) said the majority in the assembly was forcibly converted into a minority.
Like-minded group members who boycotted election of the chief minister said that their fellow assembly members were lured by schemes worth tens of millions of rupees. They further alleged that fellow members had also been threatened with arrests and lawsuits in case they did not cooperate.
They said they would play the role of opposition in the assembly effectively and vigorously. Raja Azam Khan, Javed Manwa and Raja Zakaria Muktoon of the PTI like-minded group were in the race for chief minister slot.
On the other hand, Speaker GB Assembly had rejected the resignation of opposition leader Amjad Hussain Advocate. He said that Amjad Hussain Advocate had tendered his resignation in haste during the current political conflict.
