A waiting game

This week’s promulgation of the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018 in place of the G-B Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009 has so far not been greeted with the unanimity that is required for any important piece of legislation. The new order, as interpreted by G-B Law Minister Aurangzeb Khan and Adviser on Information Shams Mir, is protected by the Constitution which grants political, administrative, financial and judicial powers to the territory. The decree oversees the transfer of powers of the G-B council to the G-B Assembly, which was earlier known as the legislative assembly. These powers include enactment of legislation on minerals, hydropower and tourism sectors.

One of the strongest selling points of the order is the dismantling of all federal taxes and bringing G-B on a par with the country’s four provinces — a much-desired objective in itself — under Schedule IV of the Constitution. Its assembly will also have the same powers as that of the four provincial assemblies of the country.

Still, opposition members in the G-B Assembly are unhappy with the order and they are dismissing it as a farce and yet another attempt to hoodwink the people of the region. Their main grouse is that the decree is largely mute on the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan. Their demand is for G-B to have representation in national parliament or grant it full autonomous status like Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The opposition is clearly chasing an ideal that is unlikely to be fulfilled anytime soon. However, like some stakeholders, certain opposition members are willing to accept the new order provided if it is converted into an act of parliament and given constitutional cover.

Such a move is fraught with danger for Pakistan owing to the crunch issue of Kashmir and some other international commitments. In those circumstances it would be better for the opposition to allow the government more time to formulate further changes to the order.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2018.

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