PPP's Amjad Hussain take oath as Gilgit -Baltistan Chief Minister 

Gilgit (Web Desk): Amjad Hussain Advocate took oath as the new Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday.

Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah administer the oath of office to the new CM during a ceremony in Gilgit .

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, senior party members and other distinguished guests attended the ceremony.

Advocate Amjad Hussain was elected for the office on June 22 following the GB elections on June 7.

The PPP secured 12 seats in the 24-member Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, emerging as the largest political force.
Addressing the gathering after the oath-taking, Amjad Hussain said that the election results reflected the people's confidence in the PPP.

He acknowledged the significant contribution of young voters and women, saying their active participation had played a key role in helping the party win several constituencies.

The GB CM expressed particular gratitude to the residents of Nagar, noting that they had delivered complete support to the PPP by electing both of its candidates. He said the overwhelming mandate demonstrated the public's trust in the party and its leadership.

He stated that the Gilgit and Baltistan divisions had historically remained strongholds of the PPP and thanked the people for once again standing by the party. He remarked that the relationship between the PPP and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan was not recent but had continued across three generations.

Amjad also said the electorate had created a unique political precedent by placing its confidence in the PPP despite a different political party being in power at the federal level, adding that such an electoral outcome had never occurred before in the region.

Calling his new position a great responsibility, Hussain prayed for divine guidance and strength to fulfil the challenging duties entrusted to him by the PPP leadership.

He appreciated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Minister Amir Muqam and Opposition Leader Hafeezur Rehman for upholding democratic traditions and enabling the PPP to form the government. He also thanked Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) Chairman Aleem Khan for his support throughout the political process, which culminated in the unopposed election of both the chief minister and the speaker of the assembly.

During his maiden address as chief minister, Amjad Hussain highlighted Gilgit-Baltistan's immense geographical and environmental significance. He said the region contains around 7,000 glaciers, making it the largest concentration of glacial ice outside the Earth's polar regions.

Describing the glaciers as the world's "third pole", he said they feed the Indus River system and provide the water resources that sustain agriculture across all provinces of Pakistan.

Amjad Hussain further noted that Gilgit-Baltistan also plays a crucial role in supplying drinking water and generating hydropower for the country.

The GB CM chief minister further stressed the region's enormous eco-tourism potential, saying the internationally renowned Karakoram and Hindu Kush-Himalaya mountain ranges, along with their glaciers, are home to rare wildlife species and offer exceptional opportunities for sustainable tourism.