• Passes 12 bills on final day, including one related to management of adventure tourism
• Retired judge Yar Muhammad appointed caretaker chief minister
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly completed its five-year tenure on Monday at midnight. During the final session, held here on Monday in the GB Assembly Hall and chaired by Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate, members passed a dozen bills, including one related to the management of adventure tourism, by majority vote. They also unanimously approved two resolutions.
The assembly passed 12 bills, including the GB Tourism Adventure Tourism Management Bill 2025 and the GB Tobacco Control Bill.
The house also unanimously approved a resolution demanding the regularisation of Rescue 1122 and local council contractual employees.
Speaking on the occasion, GB Assembly Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate said the democratic process in the region began later than in other parts of the country.
“We are in an evolutionary phase. GB Assembly members are elected by the public, and over the past five years, lawmakers have attempted to solve problems faced by the public,” he said.
Passes 12 bills on final day, including one related to management of adventure tourism
He noted that it had been difficult to conduct assembly proceedings in a natural manner.
GB Minister Abdul Hameed told the house that education and health issues remained serious, and that the region could progress only by developing its tourism sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Amjad Hussain, assembly member and PPP GB chapter president, said the assembly had completed its five-year tenure today.
He added that the members tried to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them by the public through legislation and practical measures.
Five-year background
The GB Assembly elections were held on Nov 15, 2020 across 24 constituencies. The PTI formed the government, and Khalid Khurshid was elected chief minister.
However, in July 2023, the GB Chief Court disqualified CM Khurshid. Subsequently, a coalition government was formed by members of the PTI disgruntled group, the PPP, and the PML-Nawaz, which elected Haji Gulbar Khan as the new chief minister of the region.
According to Abbas Ali, deputy director information for the house, the assembly adopted 63 Acts during its five-year tenure, including one pertaining to land reforms as well as six federal ones.
The GB Assembly passed 114 resolutions on various issues, including a demand that the federal government declare Gilgit-Baltistan a provisional province of Pakistan.
Later, GB Assembly Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate hosted a farewell event for all outgoing assembly members.
Caretaker CM
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz, being the “Gilgit-Baltistan Council chairman, has appointed retired Justice Yar Muhammad as the caretaker GB chief minister, “in terms of Article 48-A(2) of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018”.
It added that caretaker GB chief minister “shall take oath before entering upon the office in the form set out in the First Schedule of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018”.
Under the GB Order 2018, elections must be held within 60 days. The GB chief minister, the opposition leader, and the Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan federal minister are required to agree on a single name for the caretaker chief minister.
“If we cannot agree on one name, the proposed names will be sent to the prime minister, who, as chairman of the GB Council, has the discretion to nominate any suitable person for the position,” Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam told Dawn recently.
