GILGIT: The opposition leader in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has demanded dissolution of the house to utilise the ‘unnecessary’ expenditures for purchasing the much-needed ventilators and treating the Covid-19 patients.

Mohammad Shafi Khan insisted that the assembly had become dysfunctional and was burden on the exchequer, according to a press release issued here on Wednesday.

Mr Shafi alleged that last year the annual budget of the region had been prepared at the Chief Minister’s House bypassing the elected members of the assembly, and claimed that the practice would be repeated this year too.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan should dissolve the assembly and form a caretaker government, which should prepare the upcoming budget and conduct the next elections. The GB Assembly completes its five-year term on June 24.

The opposition leader said the local election commission had been rendered dysfunctional and the next elections were round the corner.

He alleged that despite lockdown, GB works department officials held meetings to approve projects worth billions of rupees at the behest of chief minister Hafeezur Rehman during the last few months of his government.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2020