ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has terminated the basic party membership of 11 lawmakers from the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, including Chief Minister Gulbar Khan, accusing them of defection and forming a breakaway bloc that voted against party directives.
Termination notices, dated Sept. 5 and reviewed by Dawn.com, were delivered to the legislators over the weekend. The identical letters cited violations of party discipline and declared the expulsions effective immediately.
“The reason for your termination is your actions in the GB Assembly, especially making a forward bloc and voting against the party decision, which is a clear violation of our party’s policy,” the notices stated. “Your actions have caused harm to the party’s interests and reputation.”
Among those expelled are senior ministers and cabinet members loyal to Gulbar Khan: Abdul Hameed, Haji Shah Baig, Mushtaq Ahmad, Syed Amjad Ali Zaidi, Shamsul Haq Lone, Dilshad Bano, Raja Nasir Ali Khan Maqpoon, Surayya Zaman, Raja Azam Khan Amacha, and Raja Fazal Rahim. Each was warned not to use PTI’s name or claim affiliation in any form, or face possible legal consequences.
The party also issued a show-cause notice to former Gilgit-Baltistan governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon, alleging that he conspired against PTI and sought to lure members toward defection. He has been asked to respond in writing within two days, or risk further disciplinary action.
The expulsions underscore the turmoil within PTI’s Gilgit-Baltistan chapter, which has been fractured since last year’s upheaval. Gulbar Khan, once a disgruntled PTI member, was elevated to chief minister in July 2023 after then-CM Khalid Khurshid was disqualified by the GB Chief Court over allegations of holding a law license on the basis of a fake degree.
Following Khurshid’s removal, several PTI lawmakers defected, joining hands with rivals from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). With support from Islamabad, Gulbar Khan emerged as the consensus candidate and was sworn in as chief minister.
PTI condemned the development at the time as the “robbery of public mandate in Gilgit-Baltistan in broad daylight,” and later served show-cause notices to the members who backed Gulbar. This week’s expulsions appear to be the culmination of that process.
The reshaping of Gilgit-Baltistan’s fragile coalition politics comes at a time when PTI, already under pressure nationally, faces mounting defections and legal challenges. For the party, the decision signals an attempt to reassert authority — even at the cost of losing its grip in the mountainous region where rival parties are eager to expand their influence.
