ISLAMABAD: The Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court (SAC) has announced the postponement of the election for the new chief minister, citing procedural irregularities. The decision comes in the wake of the disqualification of former chief minister Khalid Khurshid by the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court on the grounds of possessing a fake degree obtained from the region’s bar council.
Following Khurshid’s disqualification, several political parties put forth their nominations for the chief ministerial position. The PTI nominated Raja Azam, the PPP nominated Amjad Advocate, the PML-N nominated Engineer Anwar, and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam nominated Rehmat Khaliq. The nomination papers were required to be submitted by noon, with the election scheduled for 3 pm on the same day.
However, a press release from the top court stated that Chief Judge of GB SAC, Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan, ordered the adjournment of the election. Justice Khan instructed GB Assembly Speaker Nazir Ahmed to present a new election schedule in court the following day, ensuring a minimum of three days for the election process. He also directed that the assembly members should be informed about the election schedule through press, television, or detailed notices.
The court expressed concerns about the hurried announcement of the election schedule, particularly in light of a pending no-confidence motion against the speaker, as per the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Rule (3) of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2017. The court emphasized the necessity of advertising the election schedule through various media channels and notifying the assembly members about the election via post.
In an unexpected turn of events, police officials entered the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and sealed the premises, evacuating journalists and lawmakers present. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Farman Ali, led a heavy police contingent that sealed the assembly hall. Journalists and assembly staff were asked to leave the premises, while lawmakers were barred from entering. Additionally, Dar Ali Khan Khattak was removed as the GB inspector general and replaced by Afzal Mahmood Butt.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reacted strongly to the police action, with ex-chief minister Khalid Khurshid alleging that the election was being delayed to manipulate the PTI’s “clear majority” and influence the party’s candidate selection. Khurshid further claimed that if these efforts failed, lawmakers, including himself, would be arrested to diminish the PTI’s majority.
Farrukh Habib, a representative of the PTI, stated that “political engineering” was underway in Gilgit-Baltistan. He asserted that the chief minister election had been postponed due to the PTI’s anticipated victory, which was contributing to increased instability. The PTI’s Central Information Secretary, Raoof Hassan, emphasized the need for an immediate election, accusing the opposition of attempting to delay the process for their own vested interests.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court disqualified Khalid Khurshid for five years in a fake degree case. The case was heard by a three-judge bench, which concluded that Khurshid’s law degree had not been verified by the University of London and was declared fake by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). A member of the GB Assembly from the PPP, Ghulam Shahzad Agha, had initially challenged Khurshid’s degree, seeking his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
The GB Chief Court issued notices to the HEC, the chief minister, the GB Bar Council, and the Election Commission to submit their responses to the issue. Following the completion of arguments by all respondents, the bench disqualified Khurshid for five years. Additionally, a no-confidence motion against Khurshid was submitted by nine opposition lawmakers in the GB Assembly, further intensifying the political turmoil.
The region’s chief election commissioner subsequently de-notified Khurshid as a member of the GB Assembly following the GB Chief Court’s decision.
The adjournment of the chief minister election and the disqualification of Khurshid have created a significant political upheaval in Gilgit-Baltistan, raising questions about the integrity of the electoral process and the stability of the region’s government.
