The Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) disqualified PPP lawmaker Fida Nashad on Thursday. Consequently, he lost his newly won seat in the regional assembly. Nashad had recently claimed victory from the GBA-9 Skardu-III constituency during the latest general elections.
Chief Judge Sardar Muhammad Shameem Khan pronounced the landmark verdict. As a result, the supreme bench completely overturned a previous ruling by the GB Chief Court dated May 25, 2026. Nashad’s political rival, Zakir Hussain, triggered this high-profile legal review by filing civil appeal number 17 of 2026.
Omitted Properties Exposed in Local Revenue Audit
The legal dispute centered on major discrepancies found within Nashad’s official nomination papers. Specifically, he submitted these files to the returning officer on April 20, 2026. However, a detailed judicial review of local land records exposed significant omissions:
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Declared Assets: In Form B, Nashad only listed himself as the owner of the Mashabaram Hotel and specific residential land.
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Concealed Wealth: In contrast, the bench discovered that Nashad hid his legal ownership of several valuable properties. These lands are located in Jotyal Gilgit, village Olding Skardu, village Thawar, and Dambudas Rondu.
Court Rules Integrity Timeline Holds No Expiry Date
During the reading of the detailed verdict, Judge Sardar Muhammad Shameem Khan clarified that transparency remains a permanent requirement. Thus, the court firmly rejected any procedural objections regarding the timing of the legal challenge.
“The issue of concealment of assets can be raised at any moment during a lawmaker’s tenure,” the judge emphasized in the final ruling.
Therefore, the top regional court has officially unseated the PPP leader. Moving forward, the Election Commission must initiate fresh electoral proceedings for the vacant GBA-9 Skardu-III seat.
