Governor of the region Syed Mehdi Shah in his speech on the Pakistan Day ceremony in Gilgit has said thatGilgit-Baltistan is the base line of the country’s defence. He further said that war warriors of the region had liberated the region with-out any external support and joined the federation of Pakistan with-out any condition and people of the area were more Pakistani’s from the people belonging to other provinces of the country. Governor of the region on the eve of Pakistan Day has hoisted the national flag atYadgarShuhadahChinar Bag Gilgit and pay tribute to the founders of the country. Syed Mehdi Shah during his speech further said that people of the area had rendered innumerous scarifies for the defence of the country and would continue to do in future to defend every inch of mother land. Where-as Pakistan Day events were also observed in the other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, where-in national flag hoisting ceremonies were held and tribute was paid to the founders of the country. During the main ceremony atChinarBaghGilgit, CommanderForce Commander Northern Areas (FCNA) Major General Kashif Khalil and Special Assistant to CM Eman Shah and other high-ups were also present.
.
Governor of the region Syed Mehdi has rightly said that people of the area had rendered innumerous scarifies during all wars including the Kargil conflict of 1999 to defend the mother land and people of the area were ever ready to defend every inch of the country as and when required. Governor of the area has also righty explained that people of the area had liberated the territory of Gilgit-Baltistan from the forcefully occupation of the Dogra regime of former defunct princely state of Jammu and Kashmir with-out any external support and had joined the federation of Pakistan with-out any condition in 1947/48 and people of the area were proud to be called citizen of the country and they were more loyal and patriots with the country as compared to the people of other parts of the country. It may be imperative to mention here that people of the region were celebrating all national events of the country with the traditional zeal and enthusiasm with the people of other parts of the country and would keep to continue forever, but very unfortunate, people of the area were still un-able to take participate in the general elections and governance of the country and also lacks representation in the other national forums. People of the area had joined the federation of Pakistan in 1947/48 with-out any condition, but the rights guaranteed to the people of the country under the Constitution of Pakistan-1973 were still not available to the people of the area due to technical reasons and it was constant demand of the people to declare the region as de-jure part of the federation of Pakistan in terms of Article 1 of the Constitution, so that they may be able to take part in the governance system of the country and enjoy other rights and now the right time has come that the genuine demand of people of the area should be considered and the region be declared as de-jure part of the country. It would be appropriate for the quarter’s concern of the federal government to provide due constitutional rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltisan in terms of Constitution of Pakistan, so that they may be able to enjoy their constitutional rights like other people of the country
