PPP vows to fight for GB’s rights as new CM takes oath
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• Party promises interim province status for the region, representation in parliament
• CM Hussain says LG polls to be held later this year, rues how region is not given its due share
• Bilawal thanks PML-N and other parties for support, seeks inclusion of GB, AJK in NFC
GILGIT: PPP leader Amjad Hussain took the oath as the GB chief minister on Monday as his party vowed to build consensus among political stakeholders to achieve provisional provincial status for Gilgit-Baltistan until the promised plebiscite in Kashmir.
The oath was administered by Governor Mehdi Shah at a ceremony held at the CM Secretariat. In his maiden speech, the CM appreciated the PML-N and the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party for their support throughout the process that led to the unopposed elections of the chief minister and the legislative assembly speaker.
After the GB polls, the PPP had announced that it would form the government with the support of the PML-N. The PML-N, however, would sit on the opposition benches.
The newly elected CM promised his party would play its role for the constitutional rights of the GB people, provisional province status, and the region’s representation in the National Assembly and the Senate.
He also touched upon the region’s grievances with the Centre in his address. The CM said GB had a budgetary right to Rs258 billion, but it received Rs142bn from the federation — a deficit of over Rs100bn, without which the region’s issues could not be solved. He pointed out that GB had received a development budget of Rs23bn against Rs33bn, and only Rs15bn rather than the Rs29bn required in subsidies.
According to the CM, the region’s power-generation potential “does not match” its 22 hours of loadshedding, noting that Gilgit city has about 200MW and Diamer has about 1,000MW of potential for power generation. The CM also underscored GB’s potential as an eco-tourism hub. “People from around the world want to come to GB […] but to reach here, we could not even end the uncertain travel conditions in 78 years,” he said.
He called for on-arrival visas and stressed the need to work on international flight operations, launch destination management programmes, and protect flora and fauna in national parks. He also highlighted the region’s potential in the mineral and agricultural sectors.
‘Struggle’ for GB
In his address, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called for GB to be provided constitutional rights. “I want to see that day when the representatives of GB will be present with me in the National Assembly,” he said.
He said consensus will be built among political parties to declare GB a provisional province of Pakistan till the plebiscite in Kashmir. Along with the interim status, GB should attain constitutional rights, he said, adding that the people gave his party a mandate on three principles: right to rule, right to ownership, and right to employment.
“We shoulder the responsibility to convince the state, the federal government and political parties of Pakistan to give constitutional rights to GB,” he said.
The PPP chairman also called for representatives from GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to be included in the National Finance Commission (NFC), stressing that it would be under a temporary arrangement.
During his speech, the PPP chairman thanked PM Shehbaz for “accepting” the PPP’s mandate in GB. “I want to create a new political environment in GB,” he said, expressing his aim to change the view of politics as a “synonym for fights and enmity”.
“I am also thankful to the candidates of MWM (Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen) and those supported by the PTI.
They also had a role in the unopposed election of my chief minister,” he said. The PPP chairman also announced that local bodies elections in GB would be held later this year.
He used his speech to warn India as well. “We want to send India a clear message […] all Pakistanis, the residents of GB and Azad Kashmir are united in the struggle for our rights.”
He contended that “unable to digest the defeat” by Pakistan in May 2025, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “adopted the Israeli model”.
He asserted: “…I want to tell Modi while standing in GB: we know what your conspiracy is. We know what you want to do in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan through Afghanistan.”
The PPP chairman announced that his party will have the same manifesto based on the rights to governance, property and employment in the upcoming AJK elections.
Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026
