ISLAMABAD - Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor presented before the Supreme court a draft of the Gilgit-Baltistan Governance Reforms, 2018, which has been prepared by the federal government for political empowerment and good governance.
The proposed reforms draft states that the federal government intends to grant GB the status of a provisional province, “subject to the decision of the plebiscite to be conducted under the UN resolutions”, with all privileges provided by the Constitution.
However, the draft argues that the move would require an amendment in the constitution with the helo of two-thirds majority in the parliament, calling it time consuming. Therefore, as an interim measure, the government plans to give such fundamental rights to GB residents as enjoyed by the people of any other province, it says.
Top judge Nisar remarked that even former Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had accepted that “Kashmiris should get the right to self-determination and self-governance”.
“The recommendations of the Sartaj Aziz-led committee are very close to this vision,” the chief justice added.