Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PTI leader Syed Amjad Ali Zaidi has been elected as third speaker of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly after securing 18 votes, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

The united opposition’s candidate Ghulam Ahmad got only eight votes. Six votes rejected (4 government and 2 opposition) due to inaccurate stamping. Outgoing GBLA speaker Fida Muhammad Nashad administered the oath to the newly elected Amjad Zaidi.

The TV channel reported Prime Minister Imran Khan has completed homework to nominate Gilgit Baltistan next Chief Minister as ruling PTI is all set to form the government in Gilgit Baltistan after having secured 22 out of 33 seats, according to the official results announced by the GB’s election commission. Prime Minister Imran Khan also met with the party's chief organizer this week and federal ministers.

The contesting candidates for the GB chief Minister are Barrister Khalid Khursheed and Fateh Ullah while the former has more chances to become the third CM of strategically-located mountainous Gilgit Baltistan.

Opposition parties PPP and PML-N both of which have levelled allegations of rigging hold five and three seats respectively while seven were won by independent candidates.

The JUI and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) won one seat apiece. Six of the independent candidates have joined PTI after the election.

The Prime Minister will also attend the oath taking ceremony of Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan likely to take place on Monday to Tuesday, the TV channel reported.

The previous government of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz completed its five years in power in Gilgit Baltistan. The General Elections 2020 in GB were originally supposed to be held in August this year but the elections were postponed due to coronavirus spread fears and took place on November 25. The TV channel reported that despite the snowfall in upper areas of GB and rain in some areas of mountainous GB, voters came out and exercised their right to vote.