Consultations begin in Gilgit-Baltistan for caretaker chief minister

E-Paper | May 05, 2026

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• GB Assembly’s five-year term ends on Nov 24
• CM Gulbar Khan and Opposition Leader Kazim Mesum to meet Amir Muqam in Islamabad today

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan and Opposition Leader in GB Assembly Kazim Mesum will meet Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and GB Amir Muqam to nominate the caretaker chief minister, as the legislative body complete its five-year tenure on November 24.

Under GB Order 2018, if the GB chief minister, the opposition leader, and the federal minister fail to reach a consensus on the nomination of a caretaker chief minister, the prime minister of Pakistan, as chairman of the GB Council, has the authority to appoint a caretaker chief minister at his discretion.

Earlier, through a letter, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and GB Amir Muqam invited the GB chief minister and opposition leader for a consultation meeting to reach a consensus on nominating a candidate for the caretaker GB chief minister’s position. The meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday (today) in Islamabad.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Muqam said that the five-year term of the current GB Assembly will expire on Nov 24 and under the GB Order 2018, elections must be held within 60 days. He added that, according to the Order, the GB chief minister, the opposition leader, and the federal minister should agree on one name for the caretaker chief minister.

Replying to a question, Mr Muqam said that in the meeting, efforts would be made to reach a consensus on nominating a suitable person for the post of caretaker chief minister. “If we cannot agree on a single name, the proposed names will be sent to prime minister, who, as chairman of the GB Council, has the discretion to nominate any suitable person for the position,” he added.

Before consultation with federal minister, the GB chief minister and the opposition leader had failed to agree on a suitable candidate, as both had proposed different names.

Source said it would be difficult to reach a consensus in the upcoming consultation meeting, and the matter would likely be referred to the prime minister.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2025

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Jamil Nagri is a Gilgit-Baltistan-based correspondent for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. His reporting and feature writing focus on CPEC, climate change, the environment, and adventure tourism. He can be found on X at @jamilnagri.

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