GILGIT BALTISTAN , July 5, 2023: The election for the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister was postponed as the Supreme Appellate Court issued stay order on a petition filed by a lawmaker.
The election was earlier scheduled to be held at 3pm on Wednesday but heavy continget of police reached the assembly secretariat before the polling and sealed the building.
According to some reports, a contingent of GB police under DIG reached the assembly secretariat hours before the polling. Punjab police officials accompanied the GB police. All the entry and exit gates were closed while media also was not allowed to cover the session.
The assembly staff was besieged in the secretariat amid the uncertain situation.
It is also being speculated that some arrests of PTI lawmakers including the former ministers are on the cards in connection with the May 9 incidents.
Earlier, the PTI had nominated Raja Azam Khan for the coveted office of the CM. The parliamentary party gave approval to Khan’s name. A PTI spokesperson said the party held a decisive majority in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and therefore, Raja would clinch the seat easily.
On the other hand, the PPP nominated Advocate Amjad, the PML-N named Engineer Anwar and the JUI nominated Rehmat Khaliq for the coveted position.
A day earlier, Chief Court of Gilgit-Baltistan disqualified Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid of the PTI in a fake degree case. A three-member bench headed by Justice Inayatur Rahman announced the verdict.
No-trust motion filed against GB Assembly speaker
Amid the political uncertainty, a no-confidence motion has also been filed against GB Assembly Speaker Nazir Ahmed. The motion was moved by opposition leader Advocate Amjad.