Gilgit:
Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Court on Wednesday withheld the federal Ombuds person from appointing a regional adviser in the territory and observing that the case requires detailed hearing.
The order came in response to a petition filed by Gilgit-Baltistan Advocacy Forum (GBAF), a civil society platform that challenged the expansion of federal law to GB as the region had already legislated on the subject.
The forum claimed that the protection against harassment against women in the Workplace Act, 2013, adopted by the GB assembly, provided that the necessary framework, yet no provincial ombudsman had been appointed over the past 12 years.
Despite repeated efforts to engage political leadership and the National Commission for Women’s status, the forum said its concerns were ignored, causing it to move the court. Advisor Muhammad Luqman, who represented the petries, presented arguments for a division bench that subsequently admitted the case for regular consultation and issued an injunction against the appointment.
By calling the decision “encouraging” the forum said the decision would strengthen public confidence in the integrity of the provincial legislative assembly and strengthen local laws. “This is a milestone for the protection of human rights and regional autonomy in legislation,” spokesman Jubilee Hunzai said, expressing gratitude for their advice to pursue the case pro bono.
