GB Governor Mir Ghazanfar resigns

–PTI GB President Raja Jalal likely to be the next governor

ISLAMABAD: Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Governor Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan on Friday resigned from his post following the demand by the federal government.

According to sources, Mir Ghazanfar, who was appointed by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, sent his resignation to President Arif Alvi from Gilgit early on Friday.

Sources also said that Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Affairs Naeemul Haq had the conveyed the message to the GB governor that the new federal government wants to replace him.

Earlier, the party leaders had called Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) GB President Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpon in Islamabad and discussed the matter with him. The central leadership, sources claim, has convinced Raja Jalal to become the next GB governor.

The party head in GB was willing to contest the next elections and become the chief minister. While speaking to Pakistan Today, Raja Jalal said that he would accept what the party’s central leadership decides. “I had proposed various names for the post but the party leaders in Islamabad insisted that I accept the slot instead,” he said.

“Being the head of the party in GB, I will accept the role and work so that the party can win the next elections in GB in 2020,” he said, adding that the final decision in this regard is yet to be taken.

It is worth mentioning that both Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan and Raja Jalal belong to the royal families of GB which ruled the area before the partition of the subcontinent. Raja Jalal is the head of the royal family of Skardu while Mir Ghazanfar belongs to the royal family of Hunza. Mir Ghazanfar has served as the governor of the region for three years. He was appointed as the governor by former premier Nawaz Sharif on November 24, 2015, replacing Barjees Tahir.

PTI had announced the names of its office bearers for its GB chapter in January 2017 and Raja Jalal was appointed as the new president. Raja lost the election in 2015 to PML-N candidate Akbar Taban by just one vote.

Sources further said that some influential people from the area were also lobbying for the post. The potential candidates for the slot include PTI leaders Hashmatullah Khan, Justice (r) Syed Jafar Shah and former Sindh IGP Afzal Ali Shigri but Raja Jalal is the most likely candidate for the office of the governor.