GILGIT: Adviser to the prime minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday said the PTI’s government in GB would be ousted just like the rule of former prime minister Imran Khan came to an end lately.

Mr Kaira told a news conference here that the issues of GB residents won’t be resolved if the current PTI government stayed put in the region.

“Like centre, the people’s government will be established in GB as well to address their [residents’] issues. The local leadership of the current opposition parties will decide about when to table a no-trust motion against the GB chief minister,” he said.

Accompanied by GB information minister Sadia Danish and PPP president for the region Amjad Hussain and senior vice-president Jamil Ahmad, the PM’s aide claimed that the last government’s poor policies were causing more and more problems in the country.

Urges president to accept regional governor’s resignation

He said the centre had a multi-party government, which would continue supporting the people of GB no matter who was ruling them.

“I personally favour the holding of fresh polls in Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir along with general elections in the country,” he said.

Mr Kaira said President Dr Arif Alvi had virtually became leader of the opposition and was violating the Constitution of Pakistan.

He said the federal government had written to the president for the de-notification of the former Punjab governor but he didn’t act accordingly and thus, committing an unconstitutional act.

The adviser to the prime minister added that the government had to remove that governor on its own in line with the constitutional provisions.

He said the GB governor had sent his resignation letter to the president, so the latter should accept it without delay.

Mr Kaira said the federal government was considering appointing a new governor to the region.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2022