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Court defers CM poll as police ‘seal’ GB assembly

• Recently-disqualified Khalid Khurshid claims poll delayed to ‘bully PTI’ • Speaker told to issue new election schedule • Govt appoints another police chief amid rumours of former CM’s arrest GILGIT: The election for a new chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan could not be held on Wednesday after GB Supreme Appellate Court postponed the polling, slated for 3pm, following a petition that challenged the schedule citing a violation of GB assembly rules. The decision of the court came hours after a heavy contingent of the police entered the assembly premises at about 11am and forced assembly staffers and journalists to exit the building. Speaker Nazir Ahmed Advocate had convened the GB assembly session at 10am and issued the schedule as well, with voting slated to be held at 3pm in the assembly hall. However, GB opposition leader Amjad Hussain submitted a no-confidence motion against Speaker Ahmed in the GB assembly secretariat bearing the signatures of nine opposition members, apparently to stop the speaker from conducting election for the CM’s post. For the coveted slot, the PTI nominated Raja Azam as the party’s candidate while the PPP had nominated Amjad Advocate. The PML-N had nominated Engineer Anwar and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam had nominated Rehmat Khaliq. The deadline to submit candidates’ nomination papers was 2pm while the election was to take place at 3pm. A few hours before the vote, a heavy police contingent headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Farman Ali entered the assembly hall and sealed the premises. The police contingent encircled the premises and also barred lawmakers from entering the building. After the GB speaker was summoned by the court hearing the plea against the election schedule, the speaker was also barred from entering the premises by the police. According to the police, there were reports of ‘explosive material’ inside the assembly and the police were there for “security clearance”. Hearing During the hearing of a petition filed by PTI member Haji Shah Baig seeking a delay in the election for the CM, GB Supreme Appellate Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan summoned the speaker. Justice Khan asked the speaker about the haste in conducting the election at a time when a no-confidence motion was also submitted against him. The court stated that according to clause (3) of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business 2017, it was necessary to announce the election schedule through television, newspapers, advertisement on the radio, and gazette publication. He also said that it was necessary to inform the members of the house. Amjad Hussain, the lawyer representing Haji Shah Baig, argued that it was necessary to issue the schedule at least 72 hours before the election. Subsequently, the court issued an order postponing the elections and ordered the speaker to present a new election schedule on Thursday in line with the rules of the GB assembly. ‘Clear majority’ In a video message, Khalid Khurshid Khan alleged that the election was being delayed because the PTI had a “clear majority” in the house. He further alleged that after delaying the poll, efforts would be made to “break [away]” PTI lawmakers. He claimed that if this failed, lawmakers, including him, would be arrested to turn the PTI majority into a minority. Insiders claimed the police were planning to arrest former GB CM Khalid Khurshid and some other PTI members in connection with multiple cases, including that of violence outside Zaman Park earlier this year. IG transferred In March this year, the federal government transferred Gilgit-Baltistan Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Saeed from his post following allegations — levelled by the information minister — that GB police personnel were being pitted against Punjab police as the latter attempted to arrest PTI chief Imran Khan from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. Dr Ali Khan Khattak, a BS-20 officer, had been posted as GB’s police chief. On Wednesday, the IG allegedly did not approve the arrest of the PTI lawmakers, the source claimed. The government, however, removed Mr Khattak and appointed Afzal Mahmood Butt as the new police chief. In a tweet about the disqualification of the CM on Tuesday, a ‘shocked’ Imran Khan termed it a ‘massive loss’ for the people of GB. He said that ex-CM genuinely believed in ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’. Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2023
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