Thirty newly elected members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly took oath on Monday, formally beginning the new legislative term and paving the way for the election of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House.
The oath-taking ceremony was held during the assembly's inaugural session, chaired by Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate.
Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate administered the oath to the newly elected lawmakers and congratulated them after the ceremony.
RELATED: PPP nominates Amjad Hussain as GB CM nominee
The members who took oath represent various political parties and independent groups that secured seats in the recent Gilgit-Baltistan elections.
Party-wise representation in the assembly
According to the assembly proceedings, the lawmakers who took oath include:
- 13 members from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
- 9 members from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
- 6 members from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP)
- 1 member from Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM)
- Independent members backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
The oath-taking marked the first formal step toward the formation of the new Gilgit-Baltistan government.
Speaker, deputy speaker elections next
Following the swearing-in ceremony, the assembly is set to move into the next phase of government formation.
The process will include the election of:
- Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly
- Deputy Speaker
- Leader of the House/Chief Minister
According to reports, PPP's Imran Nadeem has been elected unopposed for the position of Speaker.
PPP's Amjad Hussain expected to become CM
The Pakistan Peoples Party is also expected to secure the position of Chief Minister.
PPP leader Amjad Hussain Advocate is likely to be elected unopposed as the new Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan after the completion of the Speaker's election process.
Under assembly rules, the election of the Chief Minister will take place after the Speaker has been elected.
After administering the oath, Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate adjourned the session until 3pm.
The assembly is scheduled to reconvene later in the day for the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Despite the commencement of assembly proceedings, the notification of results for three Gilgit constituencies remains pending due to a court order.
The pending notifications mean the assembly is currently functioning without representation from those constituencies until the legal process is completed.
