GILGIT: Federal minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government will remove 70 years of political deprivation of GB people.

He said that constitutional rights would be granted to GB people as per their wishes.

The minister stated this during a meeting with GB Council members, including Ashraf Sada, Arman Shah, Saeed Afzal, Syed Abbas and Wazir Ikhlaq in Islamabad, according a press release issued by the ministry on Friday. Mr Gandapur said the constitutional package for GB had been prepared and was being given final touches.

The federal minister said fruit trees would be planted in GB during the upcoming season under the billion tree programme, adding these plants would be according to the climatic conditions of the region.

He said establishment of a tourism university in GB was being considered to exploit the region’s huge potential in tourism sector.

Besides, he said a mechanism was being formulated to provide small loans to common people.

Mr Gandapur said minerals policy needed to be formulated to boost export of natural stones of the region. He said the federal government would take initiatives for betterment of health and education sectors in the region.

The minister asked GB Council members to take interest in resolving people’s issues regardless of political affiliations.

Earlier, GB opposition leader Captain retired Mohammad Shafi Khan also met the federal minister and informed him about GB people’s issues, particularly their political deprivation. Mr Gandapur assured that constitutional rights would provided to the GB people.

Published in Dawn, EOS, January 13th, 2019