The Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court disqualified Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan — PTI’s regional president — on Tuesday for allegedly obtaining a license from the GB Bar Council on the basis of a fake degree.

The order was passed by a three-member bench comprising Judge Malik Anayatur Rehman, Judge Johar Ali, and Judge Mohammad Mushtaq on a petition seeking the CM’s disqualification.

Ghulam Shahzad Agha, a member of the GB Assembly from PPP, had challenged Khurshid’s law degree and sought his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

The petitioner through his counsel Amjad Hussain had contended that the degree submitted by Khurshid had not been verified by the University of London and the Higher Education Commission had declared it to be fake.

On May 29, Chief Judge Ali Baig had constituted a larger bench to hear the case with instructions to conduct day-to-day hearings and conclude the case within 14 days.

The court had also issued notices to the HEC, the chief minister, GB Bar Council and Election Commission to submit their replies on the issue.

During the hearing today, all the respondents in the case completed their arguments after which the bench disqualified Khurshid for five years.

After the verdict was announced, a number of PTI and PPP supporters gathered outside the court and chanted slogans in favour of their respective parties and leaders.

Talking to media persons after the hearing, Advocate Amjad said Khurshid had submitted an American degree to the CB Bar Council — which he claimed was issued by Axact — and obtained a lawyer’s license.

“But when the degree was challenged, all the records at the bar council were deleted,” he claimed, adding that later a degree issued by a London university had been submitted in court.

“Today, truth has prevailed and it has been proven that the degree submitted by Khurshid was fake,” the lawyer added.

Khurshid to appeal verdict, says lawyer

Meanwhile, Khurshid’s lawyer Advocate Asadullah told Dawn.com that the court’s order was against “our expectations”.

“We are waiting for the detailed verdict and will then file an appeal against it in the Supreme Appellate Court GB,” he said. “If there is any other option available, we will also opt for that.”

Advocate Abdullah further said that the court’s decision to hear the case on a day-to-day basis had raised a number of questions.

Separately, in a statement released today, the PTI said the party had decided to stand firm with Khurshid, asserting that it had a “clear majority” in the region.

It said Chairman Imran Khan had called a meeting of all the members of the GB Parliamentary Committee to devise a comprehensive strategy to deal with the new challenges.

“Insulting the mandate of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, and attempts to rob it will be vigorously resisted,” the PTI said, adding that the party would soon announce a new candidate for the post of CM after consultation with Imran.

Separately, Khurshid addressed party workers and expressed confidence that he would be replaced by another PTI worker.

No-confidence motion submitted against CM

Earlier in the day, a no-confidence motion was also submitted against Khurshid in the GB Assembly.

The secretary of the assembly, Abdur Razzak, confirmed the development to Dawn.com and said nine people had signed the no-confidence motion. “We will continue this legal process further.”

The document submitted by the opposition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said: “In pursuance of Article 40 of the Government of Gilgit Baltistan Order 2018, read with Rule 21 of Gilgit Baltistan Assembly Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business 2017, Mr Ghulam Muhammad, member of GB Assembly has given a notice to this Secretariat in writing of a motion for leave to move a resolution for the removal of Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid on July 4.”

The motion was also circulated to the governor and all the other members of the assembly.

It must be recalled that Khurshid was elected as the chief minister of GB in 2020. He was fielded by the PTI-Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen alliance, and Amjad Hussain who was a candidate of the opposition parties JUI-F, PPP and PML-N, secured 22 and nine votes, respectively.