Newly sworn-in GB CM picks 8 PPP, 4 IPP assembly members to join his cabinet as ministers

GILGIT(National Times)- Gilgit-Baltistan’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister Amjad Hussain has selected 12 members to join his cabinet as ministers, it emerged on Wednesday, following the issuance of a notification for the cabinet members’ appointment.

According to the notification, seen by Dawn, 12 individuals from Hussain’s own party, the PPP, and four from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) have been named as members of the new cabinet.

The notification, issued by the Services and General Administration Department and Cabinet Department, stated that on the advice of the chief minister, the GB governor “has been pleased to appoint the following members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly as ministers to the government of Gilgit-Baltistan”.

The notification then lists the members, who include:

Zulfiqar Ali Murad (PPP)
Syed Jalal Shah (PPP)
Muhammad Ali Akhtar (PPP)
Naiknam Karim (PPP)
Iqbal Hassan (PPP)
Raja Nasir Khan (PPP)
Muhammad Naseem (PPP)
Syed Tauqeer Mehdi (PPP)
Aman Ali (IPP)
Asad Shafiq (IPP)
Anwar Ali (IPP)
Muhammad Dilpazeer (IPP)

The notification stated that the selected ministers would be assigned portfolios separately and the governor would administer the oath to them.

The four IPP members picked for the cabinet had contested the June 7 elections in GB as independent candidates and later joined their current party.

Currently, the GB Assembly comprises 14 members from the PPP, nine from the PML-N, seven from the IPP, one from the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and one PTI-backed independent candidate.

Meanwhile, a by-election is due to be held for one of the seats, GBA-9 Skardu-III, on September 5. The GB Election Commission announced the by-election earlier this month after the GB Supreme Appellate Court disqualified PPP candidate Fida Muhammad Nashad for concealing his assets in his nomination papers.

Following the elections, the PML-N and the IPP had decided to support the PPP in the elections for the chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker. However, it was agreed that the PML-N would sit in the opposition.