The political landscape in Gilgit-Baltistan took a significant turn as Haji Gulbar Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ‘forward bloc’ was elected as the new Chief Minister.
The surprising development comes amidst a turbulent period in the region’s politics. Nazir Ahmed Advocate, the GB Assembly Speaker, confirmed that Haji Gulbar Khan received the support of 19 lawmakers, including those from the PTI forward bloc, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The power distribution in the house previously included 19 members from PTI, four from PPP, three from PML-N, three from Muttahida Wahdat-i-Muslimeen, one each from Islam Tehreek Pakistan, JUI-F, and an independent candidate. Raja Azam Khan, a nominee for the coveted position, had received the approval of the PTI chief in an attempt to sway the vote.
Unexpected Revelations: New GB CM an Absconder
A startling revelation preceded the election when it was discovered that the candidate for the chief minister position, Gulbar Khan, was declared an absconder and was sought by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police.
A case of a fraudulent cheque was registered against Gulbar Khan back in July 2015. The court in Mardan had issued his arrest warrants after he allegedly attempted to cash a counterfeit cheque worth Rs 2.2 million. The issue came to light when Senator Faisal Kareem from Mardan took the matter to court.
This news follows the recent disqualification of the former Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khalid Khurshid Khan, who was found guilty in a fake degree case by the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court. The election of a new chief minister was deemed necessary to maintain the region’s political stability.
