The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated its provincial president Amjad Hussain “Advocate” for the post of chief minister of the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, the party said in a statement on Sunday.
The development took place hours after GB’s election commission announced that the PPP had won the highest number of seats, nine, in the recently held general elections in the region.
“[PPP] Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has decided to appoint Pakistan Peoples Party provincial president Amjad Advocate as the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan,” the party said in a statement.
The party said Bbhutto-Zardari spoke to Hussain over the phone, during which he issued instructions to the PPP member on government formation and implementing the people’s constitutional and economic rights.
Thousands of people took to polling stations across GB on Jun. 7 to cast their votes. However, results in several constituencies remained pending as election authorities awaited completion of partial re-polling in selected polling stations.
The delay followed complaints by multiple political parties regarding irregularities and procedural concerns in the elections in the semi-autonomous region, home to some of the world’s highest peaks and a key gateway for trade between Pakistan and China.
The GB election commission on Friday issued final election results, with the PPP winning nine seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with six and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) with four seats.
The election commission also notified the reserved seats, which increased the PPP’s strength in the 33-member assembly to 13 seats, PML-N to nine seats, and IPP to six seats.
The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen party secured one seat, while an independent candidate also won the election. Official results are still pending in three constituencies due to ongoing legal and electoral proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) on Sunday joined hands with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to support the formation of a coalition government in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Leaders of both parties made the announcement during a joint press conference in Gilgit, a day after the PPP agreed to a power-sharing formula with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
“We will join the PPP-led alliance,” IPP GB President Haji Gul Bar Khan said, adding that other matters regarding the alliance would be decided by the parties’ central leaderships. Speaking on the occasion, PPP GB President Amjad Hussain termed the alliance between the PPP, PML-N and IPP a positive development, saying it would put the region on the path of development and prosperity.
The PPP leader further announced that the formal process of government formation would begin today (Monday).
A day earlier, the PPP announced a power-sharing arrangement with PML-N, under which the office of the GB chief minister will go to the PPP, while the governor’s position will be held by the PML-N.
In a statement, the PPP said that both parties decided to form a government through political cooperation following mutual consensus. The organisations of both parties had finalised the proposed formula after a consultative process, it added.