The Pakistani government plans to make Gilgit-Baltistan the country’s fifth province, two years after the powers of the Islamabad-controlled region council were transferred to a local assembly.
The government’s plans were outlined by the federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, Ali Amin Gandapur, during an interaction with a group of journalists in Islamabad on Wednesday. He said the region will be granted the status of a full-fledged province with constitutional rights such as representation in both houses of Parliament.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to visit the region soon and make a formal announcement about the change, Gandapur said in Pakistani media reports.
“After consulting with all stakeholders, the federal government has decided in principle to grant constitutional rights to Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said. “Our government has decided to fulfill the promise it made to the people there.”
There was no immediate reaction to the minister’s comments from Indian officials, although New Delhi has consistently opposed changes made to the region in dispute by the Pakistani government. India claims Gilgit-Baltistan as part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Gandapur also said that subsidies and tax breaks for the region would not be withdrawn after the granting of constitutional rights. “Until the people there stand up, they will continue to enjoy this facility,” he said.
Also Read: After Senate Defeats, Pakistani Government Passes All FATF-Linked Bills Through Joint Session
People familiar with the events said that the Pakistani military establishment had been in contact with political parties regarding the changes. Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is backing the changes with a view to the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan so that he can make political breakthroughs and form the next government in the region.
Gandapur said the elections are likely to be held in mid-November. Preparations have been completed and ticket distribution by the PTI will begin soon, he added.
He argued that the “deprivation” that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan faced for 73 years would end the change. In addition to constitutional rights and a provincial configuration, important steps are being taken for the development of the region, he said.
This includes work in the Moqpondass special economic zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and steps to improve health care, tourism, transportation and education, he said.
In 1999, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are Pakistani citizens and ordered the federal government to initiate appropriate administrative and legislative measures.
In 2009, the Gilgit-Baltistan Self-Government and Empowerment Order was introduced, whereby the Northern Areas were renamed Gilgit-Baltistan and the region received provincial status but without representation in Parliament.
In 2015, a committee set up by the federal government proposed granting Gilgit-Baltistan province status, and three years later, a new order transferred all powers from the local council to the local assembly.
The people cited above said that any move to grant the region the status of a full-blown province would be welcomed by local residents. Some stakeholders had suggested that the region should be provisionally given province status and should become a full province only after the Kashmir issue is resolved, the people said.
Although the proposal made by the committee in 2015 was not approved because it did not have the blessings of the security establishment, it appears that the Pakistani military has changed its mind in light of the changes in Jammu and Kashmir since August. last year, people said.
.
