ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has decided to abolish theGilgit-Baltistan Council and transfer its powers to the GB LegislativeAssembly.An official of the GB council on condition of anonymity told that ahigh-level meeting was held in Prime Minister House, Islamabad, on Thursdaywhere Mr Abbasi directed the authorities concerned to abolish theGilgit-Baltistan council within a month.
GB Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs andGB, Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Planning Deputy Chairman Sartaj Aziz and seniorgovernment officials attended the meeting.
The powers currently exercised by the GB Council would be shifted to theelected GB Legislative Assembly. For this purpose, the Ministry of KashmirAffairs and Gilgit-Baltistan would prepare a draft which would be sent tothe law ministry for approval.
After approval from the law ministry, the summary would be presented in thecabinet session for final approval after which a notification would beissued to discontinue functioning of GB and AJK councils.
In a separate meeting at the PM House, Prime Minister Abbasi assured ChiefMinister Rehman that the government was committed to the socio-economicempowerment and uplift of the GB people.
He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would create neweconomic opportunities for the people of the region, adding that allproposed projects relating to GB under the its portfolio would be pursuedfor early finalisation and implementation.
Speaking about the energy situation of the region, the GB minister said thegovernment during the past two years had added 54MW to the existing 82MWpower which was being produced in the area for the last 70 years.
The chief minister said the two proposed power projects of total 180MWunder CPEC would be instrumental in meeting the energy requirements of theregion.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan recentlysubmitted a report based on the recommendations of a parliamentary body tothe federal cabinet, seeking its approval to bring political reforms in GB.
The nine-member constitutional committee headed by Sartaj Aziz — the thenadviser to the PM on foreign affairs — was formed by the ousted primeminister Nawaz Sharif on Oct 29, 2015, to recommend steps to bringpolitical and constitutional reforms in GB.
Before its presentation in the cabinet, the report was submitted to PMAbbasi on Jan 3.
The committee recommended de-facto integration of GB with Pakistan but nota de-jure change since that would affect the country’s principle positionon Kashmir. The committee also advised to bring the GB Legislative Assemblyon a par with other provincial assemblies, all legislative subjects, otherthan those enumerated in Article 142 of the Constitution and that itsfourth schedule might be devolved from the GB Council to GBLA.
Special arrangements should be made, said the report, for setting up one ormore special industrial zones in GB under CPEC to provide larger employmentopportunities for its people. It also recommended that GB people should begiven special representation in the parliament.
When asked, PPP Gilgit-Baltistan council advocate Amjad Hussain said theparty supported the decision to demolish GB Council.