GBLA to elect speaker, deputy speaker today

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Asse­mbly (GBLA) to elect a speaker and the deputy speaker on Thursday (today), ARY News reported. 

Sources said Amjad Zaidi would be the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the speaker slot, while three names including Ubedullah Baig are under consideration for the deputy speaker slot of the GBLA.

Opposition parties — the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) — nominated Ghulam Mohammad as their joint candidate for the post of speaker and Rehmat Khaliq for deputy speaker.

On Wednesday, the newly elected members of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) took oath in the maiden session.

According to the details, Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Speaker Haji Fida Muhammad Nashad administered the oath to all the 33 newly elected members.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gained majority in GBLA with 16 general and six reserve seats in the province. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had won five seats while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) received only three seats.

Read more: PTI to form govt in Gilgit-Baltistan: PM Imran Khan

Earlier on November 16, Prime Minister Imran Khan had expressed happiness over the victory of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in GB polls and said that voters had rejected Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)’s narrative.

Chairing a meeting of party spokespersons and PTI leaders in Islamabad, the prime minister had said that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan had rejected the anti-state narrative of opposition.