Pak plans a change in Gilgit-Baltistan status
Imtiaz Ahmad
ISLAMABAD : The Pakistan government plans to make Gilgit-Baltistan the country’s fifth province, two years after powers of the Islamabad-controlled council for the region 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 accorded the status of a fullfledged 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 was quoted as saying in reports in the Pakistani media.
“After consultation with all stakeholders, the federal government has decided in principle to give constitutional rights to Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said. “Our government has decided to deliver on the promise it made to the people there.”
There was no immediate reaction to the minister’s remarks from Indian officials, though New Delhi has consistently opposed changes made in the disputed region by the Pakistan government. India claims Gilgit-Baltistan as part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Gandapur also said that subsidies and tax exemptions for the region wouldn’t be withdrawn after the grant of constitutional rights. “Until the people there stand on their feet, they will continue to enjoy this facility,” he said.
People familiar with developments said the Pakistani military establishment had been in touch with political parties regarding the changes. Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is backing the changes with an eye on upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan so that it can make political gains and form the next government in the region.
Gandapur said the elections were likely to be held in midNovember.
He contended that the “deprivation” faced by the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for 73 years would end with the change. Besides constitutional rights and a provincial setup, important steps are being taken for developing the region, he said. This includes work on Moqpondass special economic zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and steps to improve health care, tourism, transport and education.
The people cited above said any move to give the region the status of a full-fledged province would be welcomed by local residents.
Some stakeholders had suggested the region should be provisionally given the status of a province and it should be made a full province only after the Kashmir issue is resolved, the people said.