SKARDU: The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly passed a resolution calling on the federal government to grant the region interim provincial status while maintaining Pakistan’s longstanding position on the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The resolution states that granting Gilgit-Baltistan interim provincial status should not alter Pakistan’s official stance on the Kashmir dispute or affect any future United Nations-backed plebiscite on the region.
Lawmakers also called for Gilgit-Baltistan to be granted representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate, as well as in all constitutional institutions, placing the region on par with the country’s existing provinces.
The assembly urged the federal government to take all necessary constitutional, legal and administrative measures to implement the resolution and extend full constitutional and democratic rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The resolution further said that any interim provincial arrangement should remain consistent with Pakistan’s international obligations while safeguarding its position on the Kashmir issue.