In a significant development, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari secured formal support from the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) to form a coalition government in Gilgit-Baltistan. This followed a phone conversation between Bilawal and IPP President Aleem Khan on Monday.
During the call, Bilawal officially invited Aleem Khan and his party to join the regional administration and requested their backing for the forthcoming elections for key legislative positions in the region. Aleem Khan accepted the invitation, confirming that all six IPP lawmakers would align their votes with the PPP.
Expressing optimism about the discussion, Aleem Khan stated, “We will support the PPP in the elections for chief minister, speaker, and other constitutional offices,” adding that they would ensure these candidates win by a significant margin. This agreement strengthens the PPP’s position just hours before the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly convenes to elect its new leadership.
Earlier on Monday, 30 of the 33 newly elected members of the region’s sixth assembly took their oaths during a morning session presided over by outgoing Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate. The assembly was then adjourned until 3 pm to conduct the leadership elections.
Notably, the results from three constituencies—one in Skardu and two in Diamer—are still under legal dispute, leaving those seats temporarily unfilled. The June 7 regional elections saw the PPP emerge as the largest party with 13 seats, followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with nine seats, and the IPP with six. Additionally, the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and an independent candidate backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) each hold one seat.
With the combined support of the PML-N and IPP, the PPP-led coalition holds a comfortable majority in the assembly. Under the coalition’s power-sharing agreement, the PPP has nominated Amjad Hussain Advocate for Chief Minister and Imran Nadeem for Speaker, while the PML-N’s Malik Kifayat has been designated for the Deputy Speaker position.
