ISLAMABAD Jan 28: The people of Gilgit and Baltistan must be consulted before any decision about the future of Kashmir as they were the integral part of the AJK.

This was assured by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan on Monday to a nine-member team of the Gilgit Baltistan National Alliance (GBNA), at the Kashmir House.

The delegation— led by its chairman Inayatullah Shimali and Qurban Ali— comprised Nawaz Khan Nami, Hussain Shah, Maulvi Abdus Sami, Wajahat Hussain, Maulana Ataullah and Mushtaq Ahmed Advocate.

The GBNA is the alliance of 14 national and local political parties of the Northern Areas.

The alliance demanded for setting up a separate administrative unit on the pattern of Azad Kashmir or giving them representation in the AJK legislative assembly to afford proportionate share in the government.

It also asked for associating the people of Gilgit and Baltistan in any future talks between Pakistan and India on the Kashmir dispute.

The prime minister consented to the GBNA demands and said, he had offered to share one of the administrative or political offices to the people of Gilgit and Baltistan.

He reiterated his offer that he was ready to step down in favour of a representative from the Northern Areas.

Mr Hayat said the people of these areas had liberated 28,000 square miles area by offering supreme sacrifices.

He also paid rich tributes to the people of Gilgit and Baltistan for offering lives during the Kargil conflict.