Resolution of provincial status for Gilgit Baltistan approved

GILGIT: The Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly has approved another controversial resolution demanding complete provincial status for the region under the federation of Pakistan, ignoring the issue of sectarian hatred, and apparently to appease the powerful establishment of the country.

The resolution was jointly tabled by members of legislative assembly representing federalist parties including PPP, PML Q and MQM. Muhammad Ayub (Yasin) and Mutabiat Shah (Hunza–Nagar) of PPP, Amina Ansari (Ghanche) of PMLQ and Agha Muhammad Ali, Raja Azam (Skardu) of MQM and Independent member Deedar Ali were part of the group moving the resolution in the assembly.


Majority of the members voted in favour of the resolution while some members opposed terming it worthless as the future of region is to be decided through plebiscite as per the resolutions of United Nations.
The resolution is also likely to be approved by the GB Council, headed by the sitting Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Nawaz Khan Naji, Chairman Balawaristan National Front, Raziuddin Razvi, Rehmat Khaleq and some other members strongly ofpposed the resolution in the assembly. Nationalist leader Nawaz Khan Naji said that the resolution is useless because the status of GB is tied with the resolution of Kashmir dispute, which is pending at the UN for almost 6 decades. He, instead, demanded internal autonomy for GB under the supervision of the United Nations.

MLA Rehmat Khaliq while opposing the law suggested that a committee should be formed within the house to further improve the resolution and launch a strong drive for constitutional status.
MLA Raziuddin Rizvi also said that the resolution is likely to remain ineffective because GB is part of the Kashmir dispute and even the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan cannot do much to change the situation.

Other nationalist parties including BNF Hamid group, Karakuran National Movement, Gilgit Baltistan United Movement, Labour Party and Kashmiri nationalist groups have also opposed the resolution, calling it an effort to divide the “undivided stat of Jammu and Kashmir”. They have said that giving GB a provincial status will provide precedence for India to annex the parts of Kashmir under its control. It is pertinent to note that Kashmiris claim GB to be “an integral part of Kashmir”, a claim that has been widely opposed and condemned by majority of people of the Gilgit – Baltistan region.

The regional lawmakers ignored the UN laws, saying they meant nothing because the UN is an ineffective organization, unable to resolve any international dispute during the last several decades.

Skardu – Kargil Road

MLA Amina Ansari from Ghanche district of Baltistan presented a resolution demanding the opening of the historical Skardu – Kargil road. Amina’s resolution was unanimously approved by the house.
 

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