— Cabinet comprises 12 ministers, 2 advisers, 5 special assistants
ISLAMABAD: Unlike the claims of austerity move in the center, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Gilgit Baltistan is going to expand cabinet/number of public office holders to a historic size of 40 while facilitating elected and non-elected members of the party and its allies.
As per documents, Chief Minister GB Muhammad Khalid Khurshid, in exercise of powers conferred under provision of 39(B) (3) of GB Rules of Business 2009 amended 2022, has desired to initiate process of appointment of further six coordinators to the chief minister.
As per a notification issued on March 28, 2022, the chief secretary GB has been asked to complete process of appointing Muhammad Adeel Raza, Abdul Khaliq, Wazir Wilayat Ali, Ghulam Haider, Muzammil Hassan and Sajida Sadaqat as coordinators to CM.
With the addition of six more coordinators the total number of coordinators to the chief minister has been increased to 16 as there are already 10 coordinators including two media coordinators of the CM in Islamabad.
Earlier the GB government had amended rules of business to facilitate creation of posts of 10 coordinators. “It is notified for general information and compliance that the Governor Gilgit-Baltistan has been pleased to further amend rule 29(A) (3) amended in 2017 of the Gilgit-Baltistan Rules of Business, 2009 by inserting a new proviso i.e. after the word two special Coordinators to the Chief Minister GB the word “and ten Coordinators to the Chief Minister,” the notification said. The same rules are now being further amended to facilitate further six coordinators.
As per the rules notified last time, the coordinators shall be appointed by the chief minister and shall hold the office during his pleasure. They shall be entitled to a salary equal to half of the salary of a special assistant to the chief minister.
The regional government, through amendment in rules had accommodated a coordinator of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), as it has appointed a special assistant from Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM) though the two parties have no considerable vote banks in GB.
The ruling party which formed the government in GB after the election has now enhanced the number of cabinet to 20 consisting 12 ministers, two advisers, five special assistants to the chief minister and the chief minister.
With the inclusion of 16 coordinators, the speaker, deputy speaker, focal person to chief minister and political secretary to CM, the total number of public office holders in GB becomes 40, extremely larger than the total number of members of the ruling party and its allies in Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly which is 23. At least four parliamentary secretaries of the government also enjoy perks and privileges.
Interestingly this huge size of cabinet is formed to rule a 1.6 million populated region where only four to five members of the cabinet is enough to handle rule and run government affairs. As per the constitution, the Cabinet can have a maximum of 11 percent of the total strength of the parliament whereas each cabinet member must be a member of parliament.
If the same criterion is followed in GB, there could hardly be four members of cabinet including the chief minister. However, through the Self Governance Ordinance of GB, 2009, introduced by Pakistan People’s Party in 2009, the size of GB cabinet was suggested to consist of nine members, which included the six ministers, two advisers and chief minister.
The PTI government in GB set records by expanding the cabinet/office holders to at least 40 members including chief minister which is 121 percent of the total number of GBLA (33) against the 11 percent set by the constitution of Pakistan.
According to a former federal secretary, the move of expanding the cabinet and facilitating more political figures would ultimately burden the limited budget of the area without any gain. With the increase in administration and employees related expenses, the expenditure on education and health sectors (including both development and non-development budget) were continuously reducing during the past few years.
Though the ruling party has increased the non-development budget from Rs32 billion to Rs47 billion, the additional budget would help the deprived area in case the public money is spent in such non-productive areas.
