Proposed interim status will remain subject to any future referendum or political resolution of the AJK issue
GILGIT:
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution recommending that the region be granted interim provincial status through constitutional amendments and necessary legislation, while seeking representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly, Senate and other federal constitutional institutions.
The jointly adopted resolution calls on the federal government to declare GB a provisional province by introducing the necessary constitutional and legal changes.
It states that the granting of interim provincial status will not affect Pakistan’s principled and legal position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute or alter its obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
According to the resolution, the proposed interim status would remain subject to any future referendum or political settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
The resolution also maintains that the people of GB are accorded constitutional, political and democratic rights comparable to those enjoyed by citizens of Pakistan’s other provinces. It proposes representation for the region in the National Assembly, the Senate and other federal constitutional bodies.
The Assembly further called on the Federal Government to immediately initiate the necessary constitutional, legal and administrative measures to implement the resolution in consultation with all relevant stakeholders in GB.
The resolution emphasizes the need to include GB in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to ensure that the region receives a fair share of national resources so that its residents can enjoy equal access to rights and development opportunities available to the country’s other provinces.
The resolution bears the signatures of Leader of the House Amjad Hussain, Leader of the Opposition Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Deputy Speaker Malik Khalilur Rehman as well as members from both the Treasury and the Opposition benches.
