GILGIT: Retired judge Yar Muhammad took oath on Wednesday as the caretaker chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan during a ceremony held at the Governor House.
He was appointed to the post by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the GB Assembly completed its five-year term on Monday. Under the GB Order 2018, elections must be conducted within 60 days of the assembly’s dissolution.
GB Governor Syed Mehdi Shah administered the oath in a ceremony attended by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and Safron Engineer Amir Muqam, senior political leaders, judges and officials of the local administration.
During the event, GB Services Department Secretary Usman Ahmed read out the official notification confirming Yar Muhammad’s appointment as the caretaker chief minister.
GB Assembly’s Five-Year Tenure Ends
The GB Assembly was formed after elections held on November 15, 2020, across 24 constituencies. The PTI formed the government, with Khalid Khurshid elected as chief minister.
However, Khurshid was disqualified in July 2023 by the GB Chief Court for allegedly obtaining a GB Bar Council licence using a fake degree. His removal led to a coalition government comprising members of the PTI, PPP and PML-N. Haji Gulbar Khan, an estranged PTI member, was elected as the new chief minister.
During its tenure, the assembly passed 63 bills and approved 114 resolutions on a range of regional issues. One of the key resolutions demanded that the federal government grant GB provisional provincial status under Pakistan’s constitution.
A total of 12 bills were passed in the final session on Monday, hours before the assembly completed its five-year term at midnight.
The appointment of a caretaker chief minister now sets the stage for upcoming elections, which must be held by late January under constitutional requirements.
