G-B CM likely to face no-trust motion as well

Opp yet to finalise nominee for CM slot

GILGIT:

 

Following a successful parliamentary revolt against Imran Khan’s government in the centre, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) President and Opposition Leader in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Amjad Hussain revealed plans of initiating a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid.

Imran was voted out from power through a vote of no-confidence, making him the first prime minister in the country’s history to be unseated in a parliamentary revolt.

Amjad told the media that they were forming a committee to finalise the plan with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) members. His comments were in reference to the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, wherein the leadership of G-B and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) were asked to go ahead with the no-trust vote in their respective regions.

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He said that the committee would deliberate and finalise the name for the next chief minister nominee.

Speaking to The Express Tribune earlier, the opposition leader had said that several parliamentarians of the ruling party were in contact with him, pledging their support against a CM who spent 70 percent of his time in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, former CM and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Regional President Nawaz Hafizur Rehman also hinted at the same. “We will chalk out a strategy once things are settled in Islamabad,” he said.

It is noteworthy that the PTI government in G-B had faced internal resistance, with a group of disgruntled ministers forming an alliance against the chief minister, accusing him of failing to strike a “reasonable” deal with the federal government over provisional constitutional status being given to the territory.

“It was a paradigm shift that came after the independence, but CM played on weak wicket,” said on minister, explaining why they turned against him.

Abaidullah Baig, a senior minister, however, denied the existence of any rift in the party. “There is no authenticity to such reports as well are united under Khalid Khurshid’s leadership,” he said in message shared on social media.

Similar views were expressed by Adviser Food Shams Lone as he accused the opposition leader of spreading rumours.

“I can tell you with authority that there is no such thing as no-confidence in G-B,” Lone told The Express Tribune.

He, however, did not reply when asked why he was going after every minister when they were on the same page.

Imran’s departure from the PM Office is believed to have eased up the no-confidence motion against the CM who is already facing political uncertainty after his degree was found to be fake.