LAHORE:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expelled Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Chief Minister Gulbar Khan along with 11 other lawmakers, accusing them of forming a forward bloc and voting against party policy in the regional assembly.
Termination notices dated September 5 said the expulsions were effective immediately. The letters cited “clear violations of party policy” that had harmed PTI’s interests and reputation.
Those stripped of membership include Chief Minister 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. The party also warned them not to use PTI’s name, flag, or platform in any capacity, threatening legal action in case of violations.
In a parallel move, PTI issued a show-cause notice to former G-B governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon, alleging he conspired against the party and encouraged defections. He has been asked to respond in writing within two days.
The expulsions mark the latest chapter in PTI’s internal rift in the mountainous region. Gulbar Khan, once a PTI health minister, became chief minister in July 2023 after Khalid Khurshid Khan was disqualified by the G-B Chief Court for allegedly holding a fake law degree.
Khan secured office with the support of PTI dissidents and opposition lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party, prompting PTI to decry what it called the “robbery of public mandate in broad daylight.”
The party later issued show-cause notices to lawmakers who backed Khan, accusing them of betrayal. With the G-B Assembly set to complete its term in November 2025, the expulsions now add to political uncertainty in the region.
