Birjees Tahir takes oath as GB governor

ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Birjees Tahir was administered oath as Governor Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) by the Acting Chief Justice of Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-Baltistan Justice Raja Jalal Din here on Monday.
Birjees Tahir is the region’s fourth governor. His appointment by the president on the advice of prime minister has drawn criticism from the opposition parties.Opposition parties see his appointment as a glaring instance of pre-poll rigging in the GB election slated for March.
Birjees Tahir, who is also the Federal Minister for Kashmir and GB, will keep both the portfolios with him. Under Article 101 of the Constitution, a person to be appointed governor has to be a registered voter and permanent resident of the province.The newly-appointed governor was elected member of the National Assembly from Punjab’s Shangla Hill NA-135 in the 2013 general election.