Gilgit–Baltistan: Chief Minister G-B applauds performance of sacked officials

Chief Minister Gilgit–Baltistan Mehdi Shah on Sunday applauded the performance of Chief Secretary G-B and regional police chief hours after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan suspended them for failing to provide security to the foreign tourists in Nanga Parbat. “Removing both the officials before launching an inquiry in to the tourists’ incident is not in the interest of G-B,” said a press note issued by the chief minister’s office quoting him. Shah was addressing a cabinet meeting held in Gilgit soon after the Nanga Parbat incident rocked the country. In his address to the National Assembly, the interior minister announced that Chief Secretary Munir Ahmed Badeni and IGP Usman Zakrya have been suspended in the wake of the attack that had left nine foreign tourists dead at Nanga Parbat base camp. In G-B, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is the ruling party of the coalition government, with Mehdi Shah as its chief minister and Pir Karam Ali Shah as governor. “If terrorism could be overcome by such acts, the officials in Balochistan and Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa should have been removed,” he added. Shah appealed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to reinstate the officials in the interest of G-B.