The so-called province of G-B has still not been given its constitutional right in the National Assembly.
GULMIT HUNZA: Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), situated in northern Pakistan, borders the territory of Azad Kashmir to the south, the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the north, the Xinjiang autonomous region of China to the east and northeast, and the Jammu and Kashmir state of India to the southeast. G-B is rich in natural resources. It plays a major role in the economic growth of Pakistan as it provides the only route, i.e., the Karakoram Highway, which leads to neighbouring China. Nowadays, the area is also being highlighted as a central business hub that will be connected to the Gwadar Port.
In the past, G-B was said to be a part of occupied Kashmir. There are different views about the past status of the region. The status of G-B right now is that of an autonomous province but the political affairs of the area are in the hands of the federal government. During the rule of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s government, the legislative council of G-B was promoted to the status of legislative assembly. During the reign of the previous PPP government, it was given the status of a province and the political set-up was changed. The governor and chief minister for the provincial set-up were appointed but all these steps have been in vain. The budget of G-B is still the same and is still affiliated with the federal territory. The so-called province of G-B has still not been given its constitutional right in the National Assembly. Many political representatives from different political parties, during their visits to G-B, have made fake promises to raise the issue of constitutional rights of G-B in the National Assembly but still, not a single voice has been raised in parliament for its rights.
The prime minister and the party chief of the PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, during his visit to the Attabad disaster site in 2010 had promised to give the area a separate seat in the National Assembly if his party won the 2013 elections. Recently, Senator Faisal Raza Abidi visited the area and also made the same promise to raise the issue of the area’s constitutional rights in parliament. The people of G-B are still waiting for their constitutional rights. I would like to bring to the notice of those who have made these promises to us that they should do something practical about them.
Tariq Rahim Baig
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2013.
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