The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has entered a new chapter after the June 7, 2026 elections delivered a clear but competitive verdict. The Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the largest party in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, forming a coalition government with the PML-N and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party. This guide covers the complete Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly members list, total assembly seats, party position 2026, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, and the new Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.
What Is the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly?
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, officially known as the GBA, is the unicameral legislative body of the Gilgit-Baltistan region in northern Pakistan. It is located at the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Building in Jutial, Gilgit. The assembly functions under the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order and is responsible for making laws, approving budgets, and electing the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The assembly serves a five-year term, and its members are elected through a mixed-member majoritarian voting system. The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election is a closely watched event across Pakistan because political control of the region often reflects shifts in power at the federal level.
Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Seats Total Structure
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly holds a total of 33 seats. Of these, 24 members are directly elected by the people through a first-past-the-post system. Six additional seats are reserved for women, and three seats are reserved for technocrats and professionals, both allocated through proportional representation.
This structure gives the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly a broad representation base that covers both directly elected public mandates and reserved category voices. A party or coalition needs at least 17 seats to command a majority in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly.
Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Election 2026 What Happened
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election 2026 was held on June 7, 2026. Polling was conducted for 24 directly elected seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, the legislature of a strategically important mountainous region bordering China, Afghanistan, and Indian-administered Kashmir. A total of 396 candidates, including 266 independents, contested the election.
The Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the largest party in the Gilgit-Baltistan elections but fell short of a majority, setting the stage for coalition negotiations and giving independent candidates a potentially decisive role in government formation.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election was widely watched because it was the first general election in the region since the previous assembly completed its five-year term in November 2025. Results trickled in over several days, with the final official count announced nearly ten days after polling.
Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan announced the final results of all 24 general constituencies, confirming the Pakistan Peoples Party as the largest party in the newly elected assembly.
Despite holding the largest number of seats, the PPP needed coalition partners to form a stable government. Following post-election consultations, the PPP announced that it would form the government with the support of the PML-N and the IPP. Both allied parties extended their backing to the PPP’s candidates for the offices of chief minister, speaker, and deputy speaker, ensuring their unopposed election.
Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Members List Key Elected Members
The following are notable members from key constituencies in the new Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly following the June 2026 election:
PPP’s Amjad Advocate won from GBA-1 Gilgit-I by securing 10,594 votes, while PML-N’s Hafeez-ur-Rehman claimed victory in GBA-2 Gilgit-II with 13,433 votes. PPP candidate Muhammad Ali Akhtar won the GBA-4 Nagar seat with 7,654 votes, while independent candidate Neknam Karim secured victory from GBA-6 Hunza with 6,390 votes. In Baltistan, PPP’s Syed Tauqir Mehdi Shah won from GBA-7 Skardu-I with 4,320 votes, while MWM candidate Kazim Maisam secured the GBA-8 Skardu-II seat with 10,658 votes.
Among the notable winners was former Chief Minister and senior PML-N leader Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman, who secured victory by a large margin. His return to the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly was considered one of the most politically significant outcomes of the 2026 election.
CM of Gilgit-Baltistan 2026 Amjad Hussain
Pakistan Peoples Party leader Advocate Amjad Hussain was elected unopposed as the fifth Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, completing the formation of a coalition-backed government in the region following the June 7 elections. Amjad Hussain secured the office after no other candidate submitted nomination papers within the stipulated time, paving the way for his unanimous election by the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly.
The newly elected CM of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly represents the GBA-1 constituency and serves as the President of the PPP’s Gilgit-Baltistan chapter. He previously served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly during the 2020–2023 period, giving him substantial parliamentary experience before his elevation to the highest executive office in the region.
The newly elected chief minister represents the GBA-1 constituency and currently serves as President of the PPP’s Gilgit-Baltistan chapter. His election as CM of Gilgit-Baltistan was widely seen as a smooth and consensus-driven transition, reflecting the political deal struck between the PPP, PML-N, and IPP after the election.
Speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly 2026 Imran Nadeem
The assembly elected Imran Nadeem of the PPP as Speaker and Malik Kifayat ur Rehman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as Deputy Speaker. Both candidates were returned unopposed after no rival nominations were filed for the respective offices.
The election of Imran Nadeem as Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly was a key part of the coalition power-sharing agreement. The PPP retained the speakership while the Deputy Speaker position was offered to the PML-N as part of the coalition understanding. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that under a consensus arrangement, the offices of governor and deputy speaker would be allocated to the PML-N, while the PPP would lead the government and focus on addressing the needs and aspirations of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Deputy Speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly 2026 Malik Kifayat ur Rehman
The Deputy Speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in the new assembly is Malik Kifayat ur Rehman, representing the PML-N. His election was also unopposed, reflecting the smooth nature of the coalition deal. The position of Deputy Speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly going to PML-N was part of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s commitment to give key offices to coalition partners as a sign of political goodwill.
In the previous assembly (2020–2025), the post of Deputy Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly was held by Sadia Danish of the PPP, who made history as the first woman elected to the post in 2023.
Which Party Is in Government in Gilgit-Baltistan?
The PPP leads the current government of Gilgit-Baltistan in a coalition arrangement with the PML-N and the IPP. The results necessitated political cooperation among parties to ensure a stable government and smooth legislative functioning. Political observers view the coalition arrangement as an effort to promote stability, strengthen governance and accelerate development initiatives in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the PPP on its victory and announced that the PML-N would sit in opposition but support the PPP in forming the government. He assured full cooperation from his party during the government formation process. In the end, however, PML-N shifted from a supporting role to a full coalition partner, securing the Deputy Speaker post and the governorship under the power-sharing agreement.
Historical Context Past Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Elections
Understanding the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly party position in 2026 requires some context from previous elections. The first Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections were held on 12 November 2009, which the Pakistan Peoples Party won by 20 seats.
In the 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the largest party after winning 16 of the 24 general seats in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly and securing a two-thirds supermajority in the assembly after six women representatives and three technocrats were added, with a final total of 22 out of 33 seats. Khalid Khurshid was elected as the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan. PTI became the first party in the history of Gilgit-Baltistan to secure a two-thirds majority.
However, in July 2023, a three-member bench of the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court disqualified Khurshid following a court case that revealed his law degree from London to be fake. This led to political realignments and the election of Gulbar Khan as Chief Minister, who served until the assembly’s term ended in November 2025.
What the New Government Means for Gilgit-Baltistan
The formation of the new Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly government under CM Amjad Hussain is being viewed as the beginning of a fresh development cycle for the region. With the election of the chief minister and other key office-bearers now complete, the new administration is expected to focus on governance reforms, infrastructure development, public service delivery and addressing the socio-economic challenges facing the region. The formation of the coalition government marks the beginning of a new political chapter in Gilgit-Baltistan, with expectations of greater cooperation among the major political stakeholders to advance the region’s development agenda.
Gilgit-Baltistan is home to some of the world’s highest mountain peaks, including K2, and serves as a critical corridor for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Its political stability has direct consequences not only for local governance but also for Pakistan’s broader economic and strategic interests.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where is the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly?
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly is located at the Assembly Building in Jutial, Gilgit, which is the capital city of the Gilgit-Baltistan region in northern Pakistan. Jutial is a sub-area of Gilgit city, and the assembly building serves as the central seat of the region’s legislature. All sessions, oath-taking ceremonies, speaker elections, and chief minister elections are held in this building. The assembly has been operating from this location since the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009 gave the region its first formal legislative body. The building is the formal center of democratic activity for one of Pakistan’s most strategically important territories, sitting at the crossroads of China, Afghanistan, and Indian-administered Kashmir.
Which party’s government is in Gilgit-Baltistan?
After the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election held on June 7, 2026, the Pakistan Peoples Party formed the government in coalition with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party. The PPP emerged as the largest single party in the assembly with 13 seats but did not have a standalone majority in the 33-seat house. Following post-election negotiations led by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a coalition deal was struck that gave the PPP the chief minister’s post and the speakership, while the PML-N received the deputy speakership and the governorship. The MWM and IPP also extended support. This coalition government is now responsible for governing Gilgit-Baltistan for the next five years, focusing on development, infrastructure, CPEC-related projects, and public service delivery in the region.
Who is the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2026?
The Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan in 2026 is Advocate Amjad Hussain of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He was elected unopposed as the fifth Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan on June 22, 2026, after no rival nomination papers were filed against him. Amjad Hussain represents the GBA-1 constituency in Gilgit city and also serves as the President of the PPP’s Gilgit-Baltistan chapter. Before becoming Chief Minister, he served as the Leader of the Opposition in the previous assembly from November 2020 to July 2023. He is a lawyer by profession and is known for his long association with the PPP in Gilgit-Baltistan politics.
