GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court has directed the federal government to implement the verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan on GB Order 2019 to ensure fundamental rights to the people of the region at the earliest.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Judge Justice Syed Irshad Hussain Shah and Judge Wazir Shakeel Ahmed issued the directives during the hearing of a petition, seeking implementation of the Supreme Court’s verdict of 2019 on GB people’s rights.

The petitioners include Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association President Mohammad Hussain Shahzad Advocate, GB Bar Council Vice-Chairman Shafqat Wali and President GB High Court Bar Association Mohammad Zakaria Advocate.

The Federation of Pakistan is the respondent in the case through the secretary Kashmir and GB affairs.

The petitioners pleaded the court to get the SC judgment implemented with immediate effect.

Recently, these lawyers had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court for implementation of its judgment, but the registrar returned it, asking them to approach an appropriate forum for its implementation.

During the proceedings, the petitioners told the court that the respondents had been delaying implementation of the judgment for last over two years. They prayed that as the judgment involved fundamental rights of the people of GB, it should be implemented at their earliest.

Sudheer Khattak, deputy secretary GB Council and Kashmir affairs, represented the federation.

After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Appellate Court judges observed that keeping judgment of the country’s apex court concerning fundamental rights of the people unimplemented for a long time was a serious issue which must be addressed immediately.

The judges directed to implement the Supreme Court order immediately and submit its report within two weeks.

They ordered that a copy of the order be sent to all the respondents, including the principal secretary to the prime minister, for implementation.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2021