PAK FINALISES LAW TO DECLARE GILGIT-BALTISTAN A PROVINCE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have finalised a law to award provisional provincial status to strategically located Gilgit-baltistan, a report in Dawn newspaper said on Sunday, adding that under the proposed law, the Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit-baltistan may be abolished and the region’s election commission is likely to be merged with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The draft bill, 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill, has been prepared and submitted to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the newspaper report said. The draft bill has been prepared after careful reading of the Constitution of Pakistan, international laws, the United Nations’ resolutions, said officials.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have finalised a law to award provisional provincial status to strategically located Gilgit-baltistan (GB), a media report said on Sunday.

India has clearly conveyed to Pakistan that the entire union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of the country by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession.

India maintains the government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally occupied by it.

Dawn newspaper reported that under the proposed law by the ministry of law and justice, the supreme appellate court of Gilgit-baltistan may be abolished and the region’s election commission is likely to be merged with the election commission of Pakistan.

Sources in the law ministry told the newspaper the draft of the bill - titled 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill - had been prepared and submitted to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Earlier in July, the PM had assigned the task of preparing the law to federal law minister Farogh Naseem.

According to sources, the draft bill has been prepared after sifting through the constitution of Pakistan, international laws, the United Nations’ resolutions especially those related to a plebiscite on Kashmir, comparative constitutional laws, and local legislation.

The stakeholders, including the governments of GB and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, were consulted on the proposed constitutional amendment, the report quoted sources as saying.

The proposed law suggests that due to sensitivity attached to the region, it could be given provisional provincial status by amending Article 1 of the constitution that is related to the provinces and territories, sources said.