Political ‘uncertainty’ in Centre hampers G-B’s transitional plan

G-B govt criticised for 'being only interested in completing a full term' as the tug of war continues

GILGIT:

The 'political unrest', triggered by opposition parties’ no-confidence move against Prime Minister Imran Khan, is believed to have hampered progress on the transformation of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) into a provisional constitutional province.

The temporary constitutional setup was proposed for G-B for its representation in parliament without affecting the larger Kashmir cause.

“The attention has been diverted due to the tug of war in Centre,” said a parliamentarian of the G-B government currently in Islamabad looking after the matters pertaining to G-B constitutional status.

His comments came in the backdrop of a formation of ‘transitional plan committee’ consisting of 13 G-B’s parliamentarians to chalk out modalities once the region enters into the Constitution and becomes part of Pakistan.

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“There is no seriousness in the proceedings as all eyes are on the prime minister and the no-confidence motion,” said the minister.

Moreover, former law minister Aurangzaib Khan said that the G-B government is only interested in securing a full five-year term, not the provincial status, otherwise, they would have had some legislation for it.

“The committee working on the transitional plan simply lacks authority because it was not formed by the federal government,” the former law minister said, adding that only an official committee formed by the federal government could be authorised to work on subjects such as constitutional matters.

However, Minister for Planning and Development Fatehullah Khan denied that the political turmoil in Centre had anything to do with the transitional plan towards integration of G-B into Pakistan’s Constitution.

“Things are going smoothly and we are satisfied with the progress,” Khan told The Express Tribune. He hoped that the prime minister would come out triumphant as the opposition alliance was a group of opportunists lacking public support.

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The minister also said that they are working to ensure G-B has tax exemption and existing subsidies in the long term while its financial requirements could be met from sectors including hydropower, mines, minerals and tourism development.

Meanwhile, reports emanating from Islamabad suggest the federal government has finalised a transition plan which requires the funding of Rs500 billion over the next 10 years, in addition to other changes in taxation and revenue laws.

In December 2020, PM Imran announced that an exclusive committee would be tasked to work out the formalities for the provisional provincial status on a timeline basis that would meet the longstanding demand of the people.

In September last year, the government decided to elevate the region's status to a full-fledged province with all constitutional rights, including its representation in the Senate and the National Assembly.