Sense of Deprivation to be Removed by Granting Provincial Status to GB: PM Imran

The Prime Minister Imran Khan has arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan and attended the oath-taking ceremony of cabinet members.

The Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan administered oaths to the newly-elected members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA).

The Prime Minister Imran Khan, While addressing the event, Felicitated the newly-elected Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister and cabinet members.

The Premier expressed hopes that the new government will continue its governance on new standards, He said that he is fully aware of the issues of the GB region.

The PM Imran Khan vowed that the government will immediately make progress on giving provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region.

The Prime Minister said that the sense of deprivation of GB people will be removed by declaring it as a province.

The government will immediately constitute a committee for proceeding the necessary legislation for granting provincial status to the region, PM said adding that the committee will begin its work on a timeline to finalise the lawmaking.

The Prime Minister Imran Khan asked Gilgit-Baltistan people to decide on their own regarding the projects which they thought are suitable for them.

The Premier further added that people have the right and authority to make decisions for their future.

No one could accurately measure the suitability of projects for a specific region while sitting in Islamabad and the region’s representatives will recommend fruitful projects as per their requirements, PM Khan said

The PM Imran Khan said that it was the top priority of the state of Madinah for empowering weak segment of the society, The federal government continued its Ehsaas poverty alleviation programme which will also be launched in the GB region besides expanding the health insurance programme, He added

The health insurance programme will enable Gilgit-Baltistan families to get free medical facilities up to Rs1 million.

He said that the government will make maximum efforts for promoting tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, adding that the tourism sector suffered a huge loss due to COVID-19 pandemic this year, PM also announced that the government will provide soft loans for the construction of restrooms alongside houses.

The government is a 300 megawatts power project for Gilgit-Baltistan as two hydropower plants are already in progress and project proposals for 2 more projects were prepared, The addition of 2 more power plants will increase it up to 6.

The Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the government will continue the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) besides completing the hydropower plants. He added that the federal government is continuing its efforts to uplift backward areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, tribal districts and Balochistan.

PM @ImranKhanPTI attends oath-taking ceremony of the new cabinet of Gilgit-Baltistan https://t.co/xJJHhHXMHZ

— PTI Azad Kashmir (@PTIAJK_Official) December 2, 2020