Gilgit, June 22, 2026: The newly constituted Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Monday elected Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Advocate Amjad Hussain as Chief Minister unopposed, hours after the oath-taking of newly elected lawmakers and the election of the speaker and deputy speaker.
The development marked the formal establishment of the new provincial government following the June 7 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections.
Earlier in the day, PPP’s Imran Nadeem Shigri was elected Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Malik Kifayatur Rehman was elected Deputy Speaker. Both candidates secured their positions unopposed after no rival nominations were submitted.
Following his election as Speaker, Nadeem announced the schedule for the election of the Leader of the House and allowed time for the submission and withdrawal of nomination papers for the office of Chief Minister.
Advocate Amjad Hussain emerged as the sole candidate for the position after no other political party or alliance fielded a contender. Subsequently, Speaker Nadeem formally declared him elected Chief Minister unopposed.
The first session of the sixth Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly commenced on Monday morning, with 30 members taking oath. The members included 21 lawmakers elected on general seats, six women elected on reserved seats, and three technocrat members.
The results of three constituencies are yet to be finalized due to ongoing legal and electoral proceedings.
Outgoing Speaker Nazir Ahmed administered the oath to the newly elected members before adjourning the session until the afternoon.
When proceedings resumed, members approved the suspension of assembly rules to enable elections for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Chief Minister to be held on the same day.
PPP’s Imran Nadeem Shigri, elected from GBA-12 Shigar, was chosen as Speaker without opposition. A seasoned politician, Nadeem previously served as a member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly after being elected in 2004 and has remained active in regional politics.
After taking oath as Speaker, Nadeem presided over the election of the Deputy Speaker and declared PML-N’s Malik Kifayatur Rehman elected unopposed.
Kifayatur Rehman, elected from GBA-15 Diamer-I (Tangir), secured a notable victory in the recent elections by defeating former Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan.
The Speaker also declared PML-N Gilgit-Baltistan President Hafeezur Rehman as the Leader of the Opposition after opposition members submitted a formal requisition in his favour.
The assembly hall witnessed a festive atmosphere throughout the proceedings, with lawmakers’ supporters, journalists, political workers, and visitors filling the galleries. Slogans were raised in support of the victorious candidates as the elections concluded.
Among those present in the VIP gallery were PPP Central General Secretary Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira, Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Syed Mehdi Shah, and other senior political figures.
According to the final election results announced after the June 7 polls, the PPP emerged as the largest party in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly with 13 seats. The PML-N secured nine seats, while the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) won six seats. Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and a PTI-backed independent candidate secured one seat each.
Following the elections, the PML-N and IPP extended support to the PPP for the election of the Chief Minister, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker. While the PPP and PML-N agreed to cooperate in government formation, the PML-N opted to sit on the opposition benches as part of the political arrangement.
With the election of the Chief Minister and completion of the assembly’s leadership structure, the new Gilgit-Baltistan government is now set to begin its legislative and administrative agenda for the coming term.
