KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said giving powers of legislation to bureaucracy in Islamabad and “brazenly denying the people their rights” was an affront to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan “that will have far-reaching consequences for political stability”.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari stated this after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi announced enforcement of a ‘reforms package’ for GB, which, he termed ‘insulting’ for the region’s people.

“The nation’s parliament has just passed a constitutional amendment bill taking away powers of the President in respect of the tribal areas to empower its people,” he said referring to the 31st Amendment to the Constitution. “Just the same time the federal government has ambushed the people of GB by taking away their powers and vesting it in the prime minister.”

The PPP chief said according to the “so-called reforms package” the prime minister would make laws for GB and could also override any law passed by its legislative assembly. He asked: “Could there be anything more ridiculous and provocative?”

“The so-called reforms package is a grave provocation,” he said, warning against the consequences of bulldozing it without taking the people and the GB Assembly into confidence.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari assured the people of GB that the PPP would ensure that the right to legislate was vested in the GB Legislative Assembly.

“For all other matters enumerated in Part 2 of the Federal Legislative List the national parliament and not the prime minister should make legislation as is the case for all provinces,” he said.

He added the PPP could not and would not allow the bureaucracy or any individual to legislate for GB “be that individual the prime minister of Pakistan”.

“If the president can no longer legislate for the tribal areas why should the prime minister legislate for the people of GB,” he asked?

He also questioned sweeping restrictions on Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on what to discuss and what not to discuss and called it a grave violation of the fundamental rights of its people.

“All coercive laws including the one pertaining to setting up of military courts have been extended to GB barring human rights related laws,” he said adding, “Such inhuman and degrading treatment of people of GB must come to an end before it is too late.”

He also questioned the definition of citizenship, saying it had opened the door for exploitation of the local people by outsiders and called for its review.

Furthermore, he said, the provision that only retired judges of high courts and the Supreme Court were eligible to become chief judge of the Supreme Appellate Court of GB meant that no citizen of GB could ever become the chief judge.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari also demanded the release of rights activists including Baba Jan Hunzai and others and a halt to taking over of Shamilat lands by the state.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2018