Gilgit : The interim administration of Gilgit-Baltistan took shape on Monday as a 14-member caretaker cabinet was officially sworn in, concluding weeks of anticipation. This comes nearly five weeks after the appointment of the caretaker chief minister.
The oath-taking ceremony took place at the Governor’s House in Gilgit, where Nazir Ahmed Advocate, the Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly and acting caretaker governor, administered the oath to the newly appointed ministers and advisers.
The caretaker cabinet consists of 12 ministers and two advisers, including one woman. Justice (retd) Yar Mohammad had already assumed the role of caretaker chief minister on November 26 of last year, but the full cabinet was delayed by over a month before being announced.
On January 2, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, in his capacity as Chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council, approved the 14-member cabinet based on recommendations from the caretaker chief minister.
The newly appointed cabinet members include Sajid Ali Baig, Maulana Sarwer Shah, Ghulam Abbas, Syed Adil Shah, Engr Altaf Husain, Abrar Ismail, Mehar Daad, Sharafuddeen, Raja Shehbaz Khan, Mumtaz Husain, Dr Niaz Ali, and Bahadur Ali. In addition, Syed Fatima and Abdul-Hakeem have been named as advisers.
This caretaker setup will manage the region’s affairs until the next Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, which will determine the formation of a new government. The previous provincial cabinet was dissolved after the assembly’s term ended on November 24 of last year.
Gilgit-Baltistan’s last election was held on November 15, 2020, with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) forming the government, and Khalid Khurshid elected as chief minister. However, his tenure ended in July 2023 when the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court disqualified him. Following his removal, a coalition government was formed between a dissident PTI faction, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), electing Haji Gulbar Khan as the new chief minister.
