Gilgit Baltistan to elect chief minister Monday

GILGIT: Gilgit Baltistan will be electing its new chief minister on Monday, according to a revised schedule issued by the GB Assembly secretariat on Friday.

Nomination papers can be submitted by 11:30am on Monday, the schedule says.

Nomination papers will be scrutinised and published by noon, while candidates can withdraw their candidature at 2pm.

After holding an election in the assembly, the result will be announced at 4pm.

Read more: Who will be Gilgit Baltistan chief minister?

PTI has nominated Barrister Khalid Khurshid, it was finalized at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by PTI Chief Organiser Saifullah Khan Nyazee in Islamabad on Friday.

The party has already pocketed the key slot of GB Assembly speaker after Amjad Ali was elected earlier this week.

The News reported that Khurshid’s name was finalised after consultations with the PTI central leadership and its chapter in Gilgit-Baltistan.

On November 24, the PTI government announced that it is set to form government in GB after securing a majority in the Legislative Assembly following the 2020 election.

Read more: PTI GBLA members bag speaker, deputy speaker positions

The party grabbed 10 seats in the general elections. But after gaining the support of six independent winners and allotment of six reserved seats, PTI secured 22 out of the 33 seats in the Assembly.

Per a notification by Chief Election Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan Raja Shahbaz Khan, the PTI was declared successful in 10 seats, independent candidates won seven seats, PPP obtained three, PML-N won two, whereas JUI and MWM won one seat each.