ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday put an end to weeks of political speculation by formally inviting the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to form the government in Gilgit-Baltistan, announcing that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would support the PPP from the opposition benches.
In an official statement, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the PPP had emerged as the majority party in the recently held Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections. “We invite the PPP to form the government in Gilgit-Baltistan,” PM Shehbaz said, adding that PML-N had decided to sit in the opposition in the GB Assembly.
Despite moving to the opposition, the PML-N chief made clear that his party’s elected members would cast their votes in favour of the PPP to facilitate a smooth transfer of power. “This decision has been made in keeping with democratic traditions and values,” he said.
PM Shehbaz also underscored the long-standing ties between the two coalition partners at the federal level, saying that PML-N had always maintained a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation with allied parties.
The statement is expected to pave the way for the PPP to swiftly proceed with government formation in Gilgit-Baltistan, ending uncertainty that had lingered in the region since election results began coming in.
