ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) completes its five-year term, the government has appointed Mir Afzal, former deputy inspector general of police (DIG) as the caretaker chief minister of the autonomous region.
“Pursuant to Article 48-A (2) of the government of Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018, the Chairman of Gilgit Baltistan Council (Prime Minister of Pakistan), the leader of the Opposition in the outgoing GB Legislative Assembly and the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan is pleased to select and appoint Mr Mir Afzal as caretaker Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan,” a notification issued by GB Council Secretariat read.
The caretaker chief minister will take his oath on Wednesday in Gilgit and the names of cabinet members would be announced later.
Meanwhile, another notification issued by the GB Law and Prosecution Department on Tuesday announced that the present GB Legislative Assembly would stand dissolved on the expiration of its term on June 23, 2020 at midnight 2400 hours.
During the past two weeks, interviews of around a dozen candidates for the caretaker chief minister slot were held in Islamabad. According to sources, a number of former bureaucrats, politicians and journalists from GB were interviewed by Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur.
However, Afzal, the ex-DIG, who hails from Bunji, District Astore of GB, was selected as the caretaker chief minister. Both the outgoing chief minister Hazfeezur Rehman and opposition leader of GB Assembly Captain (r) Shafi had proposed over a dozen names for the post.
According to sources, Afzal was enrolled in police force as ASI in 60s. After getting promotions in the police department, he was posted to Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Peshawar.
After completion of the five-year term of the incumbent government, the next general election in the region will become due within 60 days.
It is worth mentioning here that the Supreme Court (SC) had allowed the federal government on April 30 to conduct the coming general elections in GB under the Election Act, 2017, and to amend the related law to install a caretaker government for conducting polls.
