‘G-B cash-starved but govt least bothered’

Bashir Ahmed says the govt is not taking interest in economic affairs.

GILGIT: Leader of the opposition in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, Bashir Ahmed has said that Chief Minister Mehdi Shah is least bothered about the region as a result of which it is “starved of cash”.

“They [members of the government] are not taking any interest in the economic affairs of Gilgit-Baltistan,” Ahmed, who is a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid legislator, said.

While talking to journalists on Sunday he said that no funds are expected to be delivered by the federal government and several development projects have been suspended due to a lack of funds.

He added that the government’s performance in the first year was very poor. “There is nothing praiseworthy,” he said.

Ahmed said that the budget for Gilgit-Baltistan was slashed instead of being increased but the provincial government sat back and watched instead of doing something. “The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government made several announcements before and after the elections but none materialised,” he said.

Ahmed added that the flood victims of the region are going through much trouble due to severe weather conditions while the government has not extended any support. “Mehdi Shah’s government has failed in rehabilitating the flood survivors,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2010.