GILGIT: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Gilgit-Baltistan chapter president and former chief minister Hafeezur Rehman has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in GB is planning to fill thousands of vacant posts in government departments by appointing its favourite candidates in violation of merit.

He also said that the opposition parties had reached a consensus to move a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid.

Addressing a press conference here the other day, Mr Rehman said the GB government recently decided to make appointments against vacant government posts through departmental tests and interviews in an attempt to appoint its favourite people.

“It indicates that the PTI government plans to appoint its favourite candidates in various GB departments,” he said and recalled that during PML-N tenure the appointments for government jobs were made through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) or through a testing service.

The former chief minister alleged that 30 candidates were appointed in a government department in Astore district recently through departmental test and all of them were PTI workers.

He asked the GB chief secretary to take notice of the matter and stop the government from appointing candidates through departmental tests.

Answering a question, he said the opposition parties in GB had reached a consensus to move no-confidence motion against the chief minister.

The PML-N leader said that Article 63A of the Constitution of Pakistan had not been extended to GB. “Members from the ruling party can vote against it, as there is no floor crossing law in GB,” he said.

He claimed the incumbent government could spend only 27 per cent of the annual development budget so far. He said the federal development funds for GB had dropped during the PTI government.

The PML-N leader urged the GB administration to stop the PTI government from utilising official resources for party activities. Former law minister Aurangzeb Khan and other PML-N leaders were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2022