GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate has summoned the assembly session on Monday (today) to hold elections for deputy speaker.

According to a notification issued by GB Assembly secretary Abdul Razaq on Sunday, “consequent upon requisition submitted by the Members GB Assembly, Speaker GB Assembly has called for the 22nd Session of GB Assembly on 17th July, in Assembly Hall Gilgit to conduct Election of Deputy Speaker GB Assembly. The elections of Deputy Speaker will be held in pursuance of Article 53(4) of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan Order-2018.”

On June 8, former GB Assembly speaker Amjad Ali Zaidi was ousted through a no-confidence motion and was replaced by Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate who was elected unopposed. Since then, the seat of deputy speaker was lying vacant.

As per sources, after Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Gulbar Khan assumed office, GB Assembly speaker Sadia Danish was nominated as the deputy speaker by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

PPP, PML-N likely to get two ministries each, JUI-F one, sources say

Sources further revealed that the PPP and PML-N would get two ministries each while JUI-F one. However, the chief minister has yet to officially announce the cabinet and consultation was underway to announce the 12-member cabinet.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has issued show-cause notice to the party’s GB chapter general secretary and assembly member Fataullah Khan for voting for chief minister against party’s decision.

The PTI had terminated the party membership of Javed Ali Manwa, the former finance minister of Gilgit-Baltistan who had joined PTI after winning as an independent candidate and was also leader of the like-minded group. Similarly, PTI also served notices on GB Council members Hashmatullah Khan and Abdul Rehman for going against party policies.

The show-cause notices issued to GB Council members Hashmatullah Khan and Abdul Rehman by the PTI general secretary stated that

they had lobbied against the PTI government in Gilgit-Baltistan and had been asked to explain themselves within three days.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2023