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In a surprising move, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing an Azadi Parade Ceremony, announced to grant provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan keeping in view the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which was strongly rejected by India’s Ministry of External affairs saying that it rejects the bringing of material changes to the territory.
Imran Khan-led federal government announced the development in the lead up to the elections to its legislative assemblies. The elections on the 24 general seats of the GB Legislative Assembly were earlier scheduled to be held on 18 Aug but were later postponed due to the pandemic.
The question of how to deal with GB remained a problem for the state in the initial years. GB was deprived of administrative powers and governed by the bureaucracy and federal ministry. Pakistan fell short of formally incorporating GB into its territory, primarily because of the contest with India over the control of Jammu and Kashmir.
Consequently, the Government of Pakistan linked GB with Kashmir in anticipation of gaining more votes in a possible United Nations’ plebiscite for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Due to this linkage, the region still has the status of a disputed territory. Subsequently, the region is in constitutional limbo and denied representation in the national legislature.
Last year the supreme court of Pakistan finally declared that GB could not be the constitutional part of Pakistan. It is because of the Kashmir issue, which means that making GB a constitutional part of Pakistan will affect the Kashmir cause.
The scenic region surrounded by snow-clad mountains is Pakistan’s key tourist destination that receives most foreign visitors than other parts of the country. The region’s significance has further elevated as the $64 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of roads, railways, and pipelines, runs through the GB region in northern Pakistan.
With the bold step, the Pakistan government has made vital economic and geostrategic gains while offering the people of GB constitutional recognition.
