Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer AmirMuqam while addressing a press conference in Gilgit has said that constitutional rights issue of the region would be resolved soon. He further said that federal government has resolved the wheat subsidy issue and government would arrange the funds for purchase of subsidized wheat during the next year and its provision to the people of the area and he directed the concern quarters to expedite the pace of work of the development project of the region. Federal Minister also said that the region is full of natural resources and work would be done for its development. Federal Minister further said that people of the area were facing hardships due to frequent cancellation of PIA flights and he would discuss with the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shabaz Sharif to operate the C-130 sorties/flights for the region. Engineer Amir Muqam said that he would made his bestendeavors to get appointed the judges of regional Supreme Appellate Court and thanked the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for not becoming part of 9th May conspiracy of 2023. E-x Chief Minister HafeezurRehman, MNA from Khohistan Muhammad Idreees and other leaders were also accompanied with the federal minister during the press conference.
Conferment of constitutional rights to the peoplewas the main and basic issue of the region and other petty nature issues often surfaced due-to non-resolution of the main issue for the last 76 years. People of the area who had acceded with the federation of Pakistan on 16th November 1947 with-out any condition after liberating the area from the forceful occupation of the Dogra Rulers of former defunct state of Jammu and Kashmir with-out any external support or help, but the area comprises of Gilgit-Baltistan was not yet formally declared as de-jure part of the federation in terms of Article 1 of the Constitution of Pakistan-1973 and the region was being rules through executive orders issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs from time to time. Moreover, it was constant demand of the people of the area that the region be declared as a province of the country under the ambit of Constitution of Pakistan, so that they would get equal right guaranteed under the Constitution of the country. Now the federal minister for Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam during his visit to the region has said that constitutional rights issueof the area would be resolved very soon, but he did not mention any specific date, month or year when it would be resolved. It is pertinent to mention here that a larger bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan comprises of seven judges headed by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan had directed on 17th January 2019 to provide the Fundamental Rights to the people of the Gilgit-Baltistan like other provinces of the country with-in two weeks, but this decision of the Apex Court of the country was not yet implemented by the federal government due to which the issue regarding the appointment of judges of the regional Supreme Appellate Court through a judicial commissionwas un-resolved. As regards with the provision of wheat on low price to the people of the area, federal government was providing the funds in order to provide the wheat to the people of the area on low price and funds on this account had already provided till the ending of current fiscal year 2023-2024 and now the federal minister has said that government would arrange the funds for provision of subsidized wheat during the next fiscal year 2024-2025 and it would be premature to comment on the issue whether the required funds would be provided to the government of the area or not. PIA was operating the flights to the capital city of Gilgit, but due to technical issues, flights were often cancelled and passengers have to face the hardships, it would be appropriate for the federal government to direct the private airlines of the country to start their flights operation for Gilgit instead of considering the C-130 sorties/flights for the area.
It would be appropriate for the federal government to accord top priority for the resolution of constitutional rights issue of the area and confer the constitutional province status to the region as soon as possible……..END
