Gilgit, Skardu wait to become ‘big’ cities

GB’s chief secretary asked to update court on the status of designating Gilgit and Skardu as 'A' class cities.

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan’s chief secretary has been asked by the region’s Supreme Appellate Court to update the court on the status of designating Gilgit and Skardu as ‘A’ class cities, The Express Tribune learnt on Tuesday.

“The reminder has been issued today to the chief secretary and other officials,” sources in Gilgit-Baltistan’s apex court said. The officials did not want to be identified because they are not authorised to make official statements to the media.

“The issue has already been delayed,” said an official, adding that the government is bound to report back to the court after checking the matter with the concerned officials at the Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas department. (Kana)

Upgrading Gilgit and Skardu to ‘A’ class cities or big cities had been promised by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in 2009 on the eve of general elections for the region’s legislative assembly.

Political experts had then said that the promise had been made just to woo votes for the Pakistan Peoples Party, which later grabbed the majority of seats and formed the government. Though the PPP won the elections with a clear majority, it has not delivered on its promise.

Sources said the Gilgit-Baltistan Judicial (Policymaking) Committee had in 2009 forwarded the recommendations of the committee to Kana asking it to inform the court about the decision on the issue of declaring Gilgit as an ‘A’ class city. “But no response has ever been received to this effect from the department,” officials said.

Well-placed sources in the Gilgit-Baltistan government said Skardu, the hometown of Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, will be made an ‘A’ class city although Gilgit is the historical headquarters of the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2011.