Maiden session: 33 members of G-B Assembly take oath

PML-N led by 22, PM Sharif to announce CM’s name on Friday

GILGIT: Speaker Wazir Baig administered the oath to 33 newly-elected members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

The new lawmakers, including 22 representatives of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, were sworn in during an oath-taking ceremony. The session was attended by members of the caretaker government, judiciary and the G-B chief election commissioner.

Fida Nashad and Jafarullah have been nominated as the speaker and deputy speaker respectively. Baig will hand over charge to them on Thursday (today).

Speaking on the occasion, the speaker hoped the new lawmakers would meet the people’s expectations and deliver their promises over the next five years. Although PML-N G-B chief Hafeezur Rahman has already been named the new chief minister, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will make the formal announcement during his visit to Gilgit on Friday.

Winning streak 

PML-N had bagged 15 seats in the June 8 polls. Subsequently, Ghizer’s Fida Khan defected to the party, increasing the number to 16. Out of GBLA’s six seats reserved for women and three for technocrats, the party grabbed four and two seats respectively. Islami Tehreek Pakistan emerged as the second largest party with four seats. Besides the party’s two candidates who won the general seats, ITP’s Captain Shafie and Rehana Abidi also managed to win a technocrat and women’s seat each.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2015.