Gilgit: Amjad Hussain Advocate has officially assumed office as the new Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, exactly one month after the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections.
A dignified oath-taking ceremony was held on Monday at the Governor House, where Governor Syed Mehdi Shah administered the oath of office. Following the ceremony, Amjad Hussain Advocate paid tribute at the Martyrs’ Memorial before arriving at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, where a smartly turned-out police contingent presented him with a guard of honour.
High-Profile Attendance
The ceremony was attended by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam, former Chief Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Gilgit-Baltistan President Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman, along with members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, PPP leaders, and party workers.
CM Amjad Hussain Advocate’s Address
Addressing the gathering after taking oath, Chief Minister Amjad Hussain Advocate expressed gratitude to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other guests for attending the ceremony. He pledged to make resolving the issues facing Gilgit-Baltistan his government’s top priority.
He also thanked the leadership of PML-N and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), acknowledging that their support had enabled the Pakistan Peoples Party to form the government in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Address
Speaking at the ceremony, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said his party would ensure that PML-N would not feel excluded despite being in opposition in Gilgit-Baltistan. He also thanked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), noting that its cooperation had helped the PPP’s chief minister secure an unopposed election.
Bilawal remarked that the government in Gilgit-Baltistan belongs to both the winners and the losers of the election, and announced that local government elections would be held before the onset of winter.
He further expressed hope that representatives from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir would one day sit alongside him in Pakistan’s National Assembly, saying that regardless of the title given to them, he wants them included as part of the federal government.
Bilawal added that in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the PPP’s manifesto would continue to focus on the right to self-governance, the right to ownership, and the right to employment. He noted that the people of the region are no longer willing to accept outdated salary structures and are seeking greater economic opportunities.
Tribute at Martyrs’ Memorial
Following the oath-taking ceremony, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Amjad Hussain Advocate visited the Martyrs’ Memorial at Chinar Bagh, where they laid floral wreaths to pay tribute to the martyrs.