False propaganda being fanned against CPEC: CM Gilgit Baltistan

Lahore : Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez ur Rehman has said that false propaganda is being fanned against China Pakistan Economic Corridor while people of Gilgit Baltistan know that we were living in stone age before the construction of Karakoram Highway. He was addressing the annual get-together of Gilgit Baltistan Student Council (GBSC) at Al Raazi Hall here on Friday.

Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Chairman Senate Standing Committee for Gilgit Baltistan Ashraf Sadaa, Registrar Prof Dr Liaqat Ali, President Academic Staff Association Prof Dr Sajid Rashid, Secretary Dr Mahboob Hussain, ex-chairman GBSC Hidayat and present Chairman Nasir Mehdi and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Rehman said that with the construction of one road, the Karakoram Highway, there had been significant change in all the sectors of the region. He said that the provinces where there had been politics of provincialism at the cost of nationalism could not progress and concepts of sub-nationalism were deliberately promoted under a conspiracy.

He said that India invested money to spoil Kala Bagh Dam project and if the dam could have been built, the country could have benefited from it and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could have avoided flood-generated damages every year. He said that Gilgit Baltistan was rich in cultural diversity but unfortunately, this diversity was used for destroying peace of the region.

He said that the biggest challenge for the incumbent GB government was to restore peace and now there was peaceful environment in the whole region. Unfortunately, research was not linked with government, he said, adding that the GB government had declared Karakorum International University as its think tank. He said that the student organizations based on religion and politics caused damages to educational system.

He said that we were setting up eco-economic zone at GB and the region would be connected with three more express ways. He said that this year, as many as 1 million domestic tourists visited Giligt Baltistan. He said that unfortunately, TV screen was spreading disappointment among the people while there were a lot of opportunities to progress in this country.

He requested the youth to create a ray of hope among people. He thanked Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif for helping government and people of Gilgit Baltistan with the money of tax payers of the people of Punjab. He said that the first-ever MRI machine worth Rs 320 million donated by Mian Shahbaz Sharif would be inaugurated soon in GB.

He also thanked Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran for providing scholarships to GB students.

In his address, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran said that we were facing problems only because we had ignored education. Mr Ashraf Sadaa said that Dr Mujahid Kamran was a well known person in GB because of his initiatives for GB students and Hafiz Hafeez ur Rehman was Shahbaz Sharif of Gilgit Baltistan. He said that people of the region could easily access their chief minister.

Later, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran presented souvenir to CM Hafiz Hafeez ur Rehman. Earlier, a documentary on Gilgit Baltistan was also scaled.