GILGIT: Prime Minister Imran Khan has constituted a 12-member committee to make recommendations for granting Gilgit-Baltistan the status of a provisional province of Pakistan.

Federal minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit- Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur heads the committee, which also comprises GB Chief Minister Mohammad Khalid Khurshid, the attorney general of Pakistan, federal secretaries for finance, defence, foreign affairs, parliamentary affairs, GB chief secretary, joint secretary of the GB Council and representatives of security agencies.

The committee is tasked with making the recommendations keeping in view the United Nations resolutions on the disputed region of Kashmir and a judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on determining the GB status. The committee will complete the task within two months. According to official sources, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government will table a bill in the National Assembly to amend the constitution to declare GB as constitutional part of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2020