Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Approves 12-Member Cabinet

The Gilgit-Baltistan Governor has approved the 12-member provincial cabinet, following the selection of ministers by Chief Minister Amjad Hussain.

Gilgit-Baltistan’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister Amjad Hussain has selected 12 members to join his cabinet as ministers, following the issuance of a notification for their appointment. The cabinet includes eight individuals from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and four from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP). The PPP members are Zulfiqar Ali Murad, Syed Jalal Shah, Muhammad Ali Akhtar, Naiknam Karim, Iqbal Hassan, Raja Nasir Khan, Muhammad Naseem, and Syed Tauqeer Mehdi. The IPP members are Aman Ali, Asad Shafiq, Anwar Ali, and Muhammad Dilpazeer. The notification, issued by the Services and General Administration Department and Cabinet Department, did not specify any portfolios assigned to the new ministers. The four IPP members had initially contested the June 7 elections as independent candidates before joining their current party. The current composition of the GB Assembly includes 14 members from the PPP, nine from the PML-N, seven from the IPP, one from the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen, and one PTI-backed independent candidate. A by-election for the GBA-9 Skardu-III seat is scheduled for September 5, following the disqualification of a PPP candidate.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday assured newly elected Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Hussain that the federal government would work closely with his administration to promote the welfare and development of the region. The prime minister congratulated Hussain on assuming office as the new GB chief minister. During the meeting, issues pertaining to the region were discussed. The prime minister stated the federal government's commitment to working alongside the newly formed GB government to improve the lives of the region’s people. He highlighted development initiatives in key sectors including renewable energy, tourism, infrastructure, health, and education, aimed at supporting sustainable growth in GB. Priority projects include a 100-megawatt solar power project, Danish schools, and a Pakistan Easy Services Centre in Gilgit. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, and other senior officials.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Amjad Hussain held a meeting where major updates for Gilgit-Baltistan were discussed.