GILGIT, Aug 2 The Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly on Monday elected the first leader of opposition after span of nine months. Bashir Ahmed, a member of Pakistan Muslim League-Q from Diamer District supported by two members of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and two independent members, was elected leader of opposition.

The PML-N members supported the PML-Q member as leader of the opposition as Mr Bashir had voted for the PML-N member in the Gilgit-Baltistan Council elections.

Speaking on the occasion Bashir Ahmed told the house that he would keep up the democratic norms in the house and make efforts for strengthening of the fragile democratic institutions in the region.

The treasury benches congratulated him and hoped that he would play his role to strengthen the democratic institutions.

Kashrot hospital Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Speaker Wazir Baig and Deputy Speaker Jamil Ahmed along with Health Minister Haji Gulbar Khan paid a surprise visit to Kashrot Civil Hospital here on Monday.

They were accompanied by members of legislative assembly Haji Janbaz Khan, Maulana Sarwar Shah and Mutabiat Shah.

The provincial health minister briefed them about the hospital affairs and took them around various departments of the hospital.

The officials apprised the lawmakers of the hardships faced by the hospital, especially the shortage of manpower, and requested immediate steps for their redressal.

The lawmakers assured all out support to the hospital administration in solving the problems and directed the management to work wholeheartedly to serve the public.

Later, Speaker and Deputy Speaker visited the flood-hit parts of the city and met with the affected people and assured them all help and compensation.

Secretaries meeting Meanwhile the Gilgit-Baltistan Finance Minister Muhammad Ali Akhtar and Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad have directed the administrative secretaries of various departments of Gilgit-Baltistan to discharge their duties diligently and properly to run the affairs of their respective departments in a smooth way and facilitate public. They issued this directive at a meeting of the secretaries.

Officials privy to the meeting told this correspondent that the secretaries were told to ensure timely and judicious utilization of budget otherwise they shall be replaced by efficient personnel.