GB CM’s swearing-in postponed due to party chief’s unavailability

The PPP chief is expected to attend the funeral rites of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the coming days, according to the party. Elected unopposed as the Leader of the House on June 22, Advocate Amjad Hussain was scheduled to take the oath of office on July 1. According to an official statement issued by the PPP’s local chapter on Sunday, the decision to postpone the ceremony was taken in view of the PPP chairman’s engagements. A new date and time for the oath-taking ceremony will be announced later, the statement added. Speaking about the challenges ahead, CM-elect Hussain told Dawn on Sunday that the region was facing the devastating impacts of climate change amid the current financial crisis. He said the GB government would seek additional funds from the federal government to tackle the issue. He said the GB government would ensure the effective utilisation of public funds for the welfare of the local people. His government would set its priorities and begin work after the oath-taking ceremony, he added. Replying to a question, the newly elected chief minister said the delay in passing the budget for the current fiscal year in June would not be an issue. CM-elect Hussain, who is also the PPP’s GB chapter president, said his government would be people-friendly and would leave no stone unturned for the betterment of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He said the PPP had contested the GB elections on three slogans: Right to Rule, Right to Land Ownership, and Right to Employment. “These slogans countered the