PM to visit GB on Wednesday

Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday. He will attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected cabinet of Gilgit-Baltistan. Ali Amin and Saifullah Niazi accompanied Imran Khan.

According to sources, the premier gave approval of constituting up formation of the cabinet. Raja Muhammad Zakira, Haji Shah Baig, Javed Manawa, Wazir Salim, Raja Azam, Fateh Allah, Raja Nasir, Sohal Abbas, Shams Lon are the cabinet members.

Amjad Hussain Zaidi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was elected speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly and Nazir Ahmed of the same party deputy speaker through secret voting on Thursday.

PTI candidate Zaidi secured 18 votes while Ghulam Mohammad, the joint candidate of the PPP, PML-N, JUI-F and Balawaristan National Front-Naji for the post of speaker, obtained eight votes.

Six votes — four for the PTI candidate and two for his opponent — were rejected due to inaccurate stamping. In total, 32 members cast their votes for the slot of the speaker.

Voting and vote counting were held in the presence of polling agents of both contestants. After the election, Zaidi took the oath of the speaker’s office administered by outgoing speaker Fida Mohammed Nashad.