Govt working earnestly to settle administrative status of Gilgit-Baltistan: President Mamnoon Hussain

Lahore: President Mamnoon Hussain Thursday said that the government was working earnestly to settle the administrative status of Gilgit-Baltistan according to the aspirations of people and without changing its principled stance on Kashmir.

The President said this while talking to a delegation of political leadership and civil society members of Gilgit Baltistan at the Aiwan-e-Sadar.

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir, Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez ur Rehman, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and members of Legislative Assembly of Gilgit- Baltistan, representatives of civil society and senior officials were also present during the meeting.

The President said the federal government was mulling over various legal aspects to resolve the problems of Gilgit- Baltistan and to bring it at par with other developed areas  of the country. He said it would resolve the issues of the area and enable the people to improve the standard of living. The President said that in order to achieve national progress it was imperative that the provincial governments\ improve their governance and initiate development projects to serve the people.

The President said that Gilgit Baltistan would greatly benefit from the Economic Corridor and urged the people to support the government in completion of this project of national importance.

The President asserted that there was no change in the route of the Economic Corridor and said there should be no ambiguity in this regard. He said that upon completion Diamer Bhasha Dam would also benefit the people of Gilgit Baltistan. The President said that the government was working on many development projects for progress and prosperity in Gilgit-Baltistan. “New educational institutions are being established and status of different areas is being upgraded for their development,” remarked the President.

The President called upon the people to shun parochial, ethnic and sectarian differences and forge unity to achieve the cherished goals of peace and prosperity in the country. The President said that the decision has been made to establish Baltistan University and funds have also been earmarked in this respect. He added that a campus of Karakurum University would soon be set up in Hunza and quota of students from Gilgit- Baltistan in the federal universities would be increased

On the occasion, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez ur Rehman, ministers and members of Legislative Assembly apprised the President about the problems of the people and presented recommendations for their solution.

The President assured that the problems of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would be resolved on priority.