GILGIT (MNN); The GB Youth Movement organized a protest outside the Chief Minister Secretariat in Chinarbagh, Gilgit, on Saturday, opposing the appointment of alleged controversial figures to the Gilgit-Baltistan caretaker government.
Protests were also announced in Ghanche, Nagar, and Shigar districts by political and civil society members, highlighting the lack of representation from these regions in the caretaker cabinet. Demonstrators claimed that several appointees had been affiliated with political parties or previous governments, alleging that their inclusion aimed to influence the upcoming GB general elections.
Protesters demanded that educated youth and neutral individuals be included in the caretaker cabinet. During the demonstration, River Road in Chinarbagh was blocked, and Gilgit police arrested eight protesters, including GB Youth Movement Chairman Azfar Jamshed. Jamshed warned that unless youth concerns were addressed, protests would continue across Gilgit and among GB youth in other provinces.
Political leaders from the PPP, PML-N, and civil society in Ghanche, Nagar, and Shigar strongly opposed appointments made without district representation. Former GB Assembly member Sultan Ali Khan and leaders Zakir Hussain Kazim and Mohammad Iqbal criticized the caretaker cabinet. Kazim called the exclusion of Ghanche a source of frustration and deprivation for local communities, warning of long-term negative effects if not addressed.
Similarly, political figures from Nagar, including Muhammad Ali Akhtar (PPP), Javed Hussain, and Sajjad Hussain (PML-N), condemned the district’s exclusion, describing it as discriminatory. They pledged to continue resistance until fair and equal representation is ensured.
Political parties argued that the caretaker cabinet favored certain regions and individuals, casting doubt on the transparency and impartiality of the upcoming elections. PML-N, PPP, GB Awami Action Committee, and others condemned the arrests and demanded the immediate release of detained protesters.
The controversy around the caretaker appointments stems from concerns raised earlier by PML-N GB President and former Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman, who had stressed that the cabinet should include representatives from all districts and ethnicities. He argued that appointing politically affiliated or previously serving individuals violated the agreed criteria for a neutral caretaker government and threatened the credibility of the upcoming elections.
Officials have yet to respond to the mounting protests and calls for a review of the caretaker cabinet appointments.
