Govt notifies 7 G-B caretaker cabinet ministers amid opposition uproar

PPP, which competed a 5-year term in G-B last month, opposes expansion in caretaker cabinet, questions those nominated

ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday issued a notification for the appointment of seven caretaker ministers to the provincial government of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), despite heavy criticism from the opposition. 

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which competed a five-year term in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) last month, has opposed the proposed expansion in the caretaker cabinet for the region.

It prompted Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah to write a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday and remind him that under the Constitution, the size of the cabinet cannot increase 11% of the total strength of the legislative assembly.

After installing a caretaker set-up last month, the federal government appointed five ministers in the cabinet. However, some groups protested that three districts of the region were not given any representation in the cabinet.

Protests were also held in parts of the region to press the demand.

A meeting at the G-B House in Islamabad on Tuesday had decided to induct five more ministers to the cabinet, and a summery in this regard was sent to the federal government.



In addition to the constitutional reservation voiced by the opposition parties, they have also criticised some of the nominees for the caretaker cabinet, pointing out that they were supporters of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. This, they say, will compromise the impartiality of a caretaker government installed to oversee elections in the province.

“The federal government added another five members to the caretaker government. Accordingly a summary has been submitted for approval of the federal government. This decision / recommendation is a violation of the 18th amendment. Such type of actions will make the forthcoming general elections of G-B as controversial, in the same way as general elections of Pakistan,” Shah wrote in the letter.

“It will be fair and in fitness of things that only three members Caretaker Cabinet be approved as the 11% of the total strength of 33 Members of the G-B Legislative Assembly can be inducted as caretaker cabinet as per true spirit of 18th Amendment,” it further states.