Bilawal picks Advocate Amjad for Gilgit-Baltistan CM slot

PML-N to Hold Positions of Governor, Leader of The Opposition

GILGIT: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday nominated Advocate Amjad Hussain as the party’s candidate for the office of Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister.

The announcement came a day after the PPP, which emerged as the largest party in the recent GB elections, decided to form a government with the support of the PML-N.

Under a power-sharing arrangement agreed upon by local leaders of both parties, the chief minister’s slot will go to the PPP, while the PML-N will hold the positions of governor and leader of the opposition.

According to an official statement shared on X, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari selected PPP Gilgit-Baltistan President Advocate Amjad Hussain for the top executive office in the region. The PPP chairman also held a telephone conversation with him and discussed matters related to the formation of the new government and the protection of the people’s constitutional and economic rights.

Who is Amjad Hussain?

Advocate Amjad Hussain, who has headed the PPP in Gilgit-Baltistan since 2016, secured victory from constituency GBA-I in the latest elections.

A seasoned lawyer with extensive knowledge of constitutional and legal issues concerning the region, he served as a member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly from 2020 to 2025 and was previously a member of the GB Council between 2009 and 2014.

During the 2020 GB elections, he made history by contesting from two constituencies — GBA-I Gilgit and GBA-IV Nagar. He won both seats but later vacated the Nagar constituency.

Amjad Hussain also served as leader of the opposition in the GB Assembly from 2020 to 2023 during the PTI-led government headed by Khalid Khurshid.

He played a key role in introducing the Gilgit-Baltistan Land Reforms Act, which was passed by the assembly in 2025 and aimed at granting ownership rights to local residents.

In 2016, he launched the Haq-e-Hukumat (Right to Rule) and Haq-e-Malkiat (Right to Ownership) movements, which subsequently became central themes of the PPP’s election manifesto.

A strong advocate of granting provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan, Amjad Hussain has consistently campaigned for greater constitutional rights and representation for the region.