SHIGAR, GB (MNN); Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday said that any future constitutional amendment must guarantee the protection of the rights of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Addressing a public rally in Shigar ahead of the June 7 regional elections, Bilawal said the people of GB must be given their rightful political and constitutional status.
He stressed that the struggle for “haq-i-hakimiyat” (right of self-rule) could move forward by holding elections in Gilgit-Baltistan at the same time as general elections across Pakistan.
“When elections in Gilgit-Baltistan are held together with elections in the rest of Pakistan, the struggle for the right of self-rule will progress in its true spirit,” he said.
Bilawal also highlighted the issue of “haq-i-malkiyat” (right to ownership), saying the people of GB should have authority over their land and natural resources. He criticized political forces that, he said, seek to control regional resources from Islamabad instead of allowing local communities to manage them.
He said the people of GB have long suffered because decisions affecting their future were made in Islamabad, and insisted that they should be empowered to make decisions for their own region.
The PPP chairman also questioned the purpose of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, calling for its abolition and the transfer of political, financial and administrative powers to the elected assemblies in Gilgit and Muzaffarabad.
Bilawal further said that giving GB ownership rights would open the door to economic development and create employment opportunities for the youth of the region.
He said the Pakistan Peoples Party manifesto for Gilgit-Baltistan is centered on securing the people’s rights, including self-rule, ownership and livelihood.
