PPP's Amjad Hussain elected Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister unopposed

The Pakistan Peoples Party formally took control of the Gilgit-Baltistan government on Monday after its candidate, Amjad Hussain, was elected unopposed as the region's fifth chief minister. The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Secretariat declared Hussain elected without a vote after no rival candidate entered the race.

Who is the new chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan?

Amjad Hussain, 50, is a senior lawyer and politician who serves as PPP's provincial president in Gilgit-Baltistan. Born in 1975 in Amphari, Gilgit, he holds a law degree from the University of the Punjab and has practiced before the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan. He previously served on the Gilgit-Baltistan Council from 2010 to 2015 and was elected to the assembly in 2020.

Hussain comes from a prominent political family. His late father, Azar Khan, was a senior PPP leader and former chairman of District Gilgit. Hussain entered politics through the Peoples Students Federation, was elected its district president in 1996, and built his career as a party strategist and grassroots organizer. He also served as president of the Gilgit-Baltistan High Court Bar Association and the Peoples Lawyers Forum.

How did PPP form the Gilgit-Baltistan government unopposed?

All major constitutional positions in the assembly were filled without a contest. The secretariat said no competing candidates were nominated for the posts of chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, or leader of the opposition, reflecting a political understanding among parties in the 33-member house.

PPP lawmaker Imran Nadeem was elected speaker, while Malik Kifayatur Rehman became deputy speaker. Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was named leader of the opposition.

What are the current seat standings in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly?

According to Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan spokesperson Bahadur Jameel, the PPP holds 13 seats, followed by PML-N with nine and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party with six. The Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen holds one seat, while a PTI-backed independent member holds another. Results from three constituencies remain withheld due to pending litigation before the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Jameel said Forms 45 and 47 showed PPP leading in two of the disputed constituencies and PML-N in one, but results have been suspended until court proceedings conclude. Final hearings in the cases are scheduled for July 2.