A new political leadership has emerged in Gilgit-Baltistan, where Pakistan Peoples Party’s Advocate Amjad Hussain was elected Chief Minister unopposed. His election came at a time when the newly elected Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly completed the process of electing the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House in its very first session.
A total of 30 members took oath in the session held on Monday. These included elected representatives on general seats, nominated members on reserved seats for women and technocrats. After the oath-taking, the assembly’s proceedings moved forward in a phased manner and the formation of a new parliamentary structure began.
In a significant political development, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Imran Nadeem Shugri was declared the Speaker and PML-N’s Malik Kifayat-ur-Rehman was declared the Deputy Speaker. The absence of any opposition candidate for both posts indicated that there was already a political understanding between the different parties.
Later, the Speaker initiated the process of nominations for the election of the Chief Minister. Only Advocate Amjad Hussain filed his nomination papers by the due date. No other party fielded a candidate, as a result of which he was declared the new Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan unopposed.
According to the results of the recent elections, the PPP emerged as the largest party with 13 seats. The Muslim League (N) won nine seats, while the Utsav Pakistan Party is present in the assembly with six seats. In addition, the Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen and an independent candidate also won.
Political observers say that the cooperation between the PPP, the PML (N) and the Utsav Pakistan Party paved the way for government formation. Although the PML (N) provided support in the formation of the government, the party decided to sit in the opposition. In this context, former Chief Minister and PML (N) leader Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman was appointed the Leader of the Opposition.
The atmosphere during the assembly session was very dynamic. Workers of different political parties, media representatives and guests were present in large numbers. Slogans were chanted in favor of the successful candidates while prominent political figures also observed the proceedings.
After the appointment of Advocate Amjad Hussain as the Chief Minister, the new government will now face several administrative and developmental challenges. Public expectations are focused on improving infrastructure, employment opportunities, promoting tourism and resolving local issues.
According to political analysts, the formation of the new assembly and the unanimous election of key constitutional posts is being seen as a positive sign for political stability in the region. In the coming days, the new government’s policy priorities and development agenda will be the focus of public attention.
