GILGIT:
Four newly elected independent members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Tuesday announced their decision to join the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) after a meeting with the party’s president and federal minister Abdul Aleem Khan.
The legislators who announced their affiliation with the party include Anwar Ali, elected from G-BA-23 Ghanche-II; Dr. Asad Shafiq, selected from G-BA-24 Ghanche-III; Muhammad Dilpazeer, elected from GBA-15 Diamer-I; and Aman Ali Amir, elected from GBA-21 Yasin.
The development is significant in connection with ongoing political consultations and alliance-building efforts, where parties seek to strengthen their position ahead of the government formation process in GB.
The IPP had fielded candidates in several constituencies during the election, but did not secure a victory in any seat. However, the inclusion of the four independents gives the party a presence in the newly elected assembly and may influence political negotiations in the coming days.
According to unofficial results of the June 7 election, the PPP secured 10 out of 24 seats in the British Legislative Assembly. After the victory, delegations from the PPP and PML-N held meetings in the UK to discuss proposals for the formation of a government after the elections. Senior leaders from both sides engaged in detailed consultations on power-sharing arrangements and government proposals.
A broad opposition alliance, including the PTI, rejected the results of the UK election, alleging widespread fraud and manipulation, and announced plans for protests and further political action.
Congratulating the PPP on its victory, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the PML-N would sit on the opposition benches in the UK but its elected members would vote for the PPP to enable it to form the government.
