GILGIT: An all parties’ conference (APC) has demanded the determination of the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan, holding of the long-delayed local government elections and a share for the region in the NFC award.

The conference to make a consensus on constitutional rights was convened by the PPP in Skardu on Saturday.

PML-N chapter president and farmer chief minister Hafeezur Rehman, PPP president Amjad Hussain advocate, Ahmed Hussain Turabi from Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Najaf Ali from Awami Action Committee, Skardu district bar association president Mohammad Sherbaz, High Court Bar Association general secretary Shujat Hussain, political leaders Fida Mohammad Nashad, Ibrahim Sanai, Ashraf Saada, Jamil Ahmed and others attended the conference.

The conference adopted a joint declaration which demanded the federal government to provide basic and political rights to the people of the region.

It said the constitutional status of the region should be determined under the Sartaj Aziz Committee or National Security Council 2020 recommendations.

The declaration said local bodies elections in GB should be conducted which have not been held for 20 years. It said GB should also be given financial share in the NFC award. The distribution of subsidised wheat should be made transparent and alleged corruption in the food department should be eliminated.

It also demanded completion of power projects in the region on emergency basis to overcome prolonged outages.

Moreover, judges should be appointed on vacant posts in the Supreme Appellate Court and the chief court. It demanded the federal government to check financial discipline of the GB government in utilisation of grants provided by Islamabad. The declaration said political parties should reach consensus on land reforms in the region.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2024