Let’s shuffle: PML-N hints at replacing G-B governor

Says an ‘unbiased’ person is the need of the hour for the region.

GILGIT:

As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) forms government at the centre and in Punjab, the leadership of the party in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) has hinted at replacing the governor with one from the PML-N.

“I think the governor should be someone from the PML-N,” Hafizur Rahman, G-B president of PML-N told journalists in his office on Sunday. “And we will have a word over it very soon.”

He shot down suggestions of toppling the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led G-B government ahead of time, saying the ‘Mehdi Shah administration’ should be given a fair chance to complete its term, which ends in 2014.

“We hope [in the polls] the result of the PPP government and its allies in G-B will be no different from those in the rest of the country,” said Rahman, referring to the dismal performance of the PPP in the general elections.

Pir Karam Ali Shah, a PPP stalwart from Ghizer Valley, is the current governor of G-B. The PPP is the ruling party in the area with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid as coalition partners.

In order to fix discrepancies in the system, Rahman asserted a strong governor, free from party biases, was the need of the hour; but at the same time he pushed for a governor from the PML-N.

“There is no accountability system to check corruption in the region and we need to establish such a system,” he said.

The PML-N G-B chief said all development programmes being run in Punjab would be extended to G-B to improve the regional economy, which suffers from a shortage of funds.

Rahman expressed his desire to strengthen G-B’s ties with Punjab, stating relations with Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa only gifted negatives such as arms and ammunition to the region.

As party celebrations continue, people from all over the region flocked to the PML-N regional office to offer congratulations over the party’s landslide victory.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2013.