PM Imran Khan to announce provincial status for Gilgit Baltistan on Dec 16

GILGIT: Provincial Minister of Gilgit Baltistan Raja Zakaria Monday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would visit Skardu on December 16 and announce to give interim provincial status to Gilgit Baltistan, ARY NEWS reported.

Detailing the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he shared that the premier will also inaugurate the Skardu International Airport and Jaglot-Skardu road.

“The prime minister will also address a public gathering in Skardu and also announce to give a status of an interim province to Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.

In September this year, the second draft of the constitutional package for the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region was forwarded to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The package was aimed at serious efforts from the federal government for giving provincial status to the federally-administered region. The constitutional package for GB was finalized in line with the United Nations (UN) resolutions and international laws.

Prior to this in late July this year, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government had finalized the draft amendments for a series of legislation including the draft law for declaring Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) a province.

While taking practical steps for bringing legal reforms in different sections, the federal government had finalized draft laws for elections, accountability process, province status to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and criminal laws.

The Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly had demanded an interim province status for the region from Pakistan’s federal government.

While passing a resolution by the regional legislature, an appropriate representation for the GB region had been demanded in Pakistan’s National Assembly, Senate, and other federal institutions.

The assembly had also demanded in its resolution an interim province status for the region and amendments in Pakistan’s constitution to provide constitutional cover to it.