PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Monday that any possible constitutional amendment should provide protection to the rights of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

“If any constitutional amendment has to be made anywhere, it is very important that the rights of GB are protected under it,” he said while addressing a rally in GB’s Shigar while addressing a public gathering ahead of June 7 elections in the region.

In this connection, he said, “We can take forward their struggle for their right of rule (haq-i-hakimiyat)”. For this, the first step would be to hold elections in GB and the rest of Pakistan at the same time, he said.

“When elections are held in Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of Pakistan at the same time, progress in GB’s struggle for right of rule will be made in the true sense,” he added. “If we want to ensure the right of rule [for GB], demands or aims should be to hold elections in GB at the same time as general elections in Pakistan.”

He also said the PPP would work towards getting the “same rights and resources for GB as others under the 18th Amendment”.

Speaking of right to ownership (haq-i-malkiyat) for GB, he claimed that the difference between the PPP and other parties was that “they want to run everything from Islamabad; they want to run Gwadar from Islamabad, they want to run Karachi from Islamabad”.

Addressing the rally’s participants, Bilawal said, “You have been facing it. You have faced the consequences of your fate being decided in Islamabad.”

He asserted that the people of GB should make decisions for the region.

The PPP chairperson also questioned the need for the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and GB.

“What is the benefit of having a minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan? End this ministry. They say that the Centre has no resources. If that is the case, the first thing that should be done is end this ministry. And then all political, financial and administrative authority should be transferred to the assemblies in Gilgit and Muzaffarabad,” he said.

He claimed that some other political parties viewed “your mountains, your resources under the earth, and your marble are their resources. But they are not their but your resources”.

Bilawal said if the people of GB and Shigar were authorised to make their own decisions, they would make financial progress, and so would Islamabad.

He further said the PPP had also worked towards getting people their right to right to livelihood (haq-i-rozgar).

“I believe it is our responsibility to provide employment opportunities to the youth of GB, Shigar and Pakistan. That will only be possible if you get the right to ownership […] When that happens, you will not just employment to your youth, but to people from across Pakistan,” he said.

Bilawal said the PPP’s manifesto for GB was to get its people their right.

Urging the people to vote for the PPP candidate in the upcoming elections, he said: “You make arrangements for Form-45, I will make arrangements for Form-47.”

The Form-45 is the result of the vote count prepared by a presiding officer at each polling station while Form-47 is the provisional consolidated statement of results of vote count of all polling stations in a constituency, prepared by the relevant returning officer.

Following his remarks about the two forms, Bilawal added, “We are confident that the PPP would not face any injustice in these elections and none of our seats will be stolen. Your only responsibility is to come out on the election day, cast votes at the polling stations and return after taking Form-45.”

He also said the PPP was a democratic party and had “never asked anyone for favours. We never requested anyone to select us. I never requested anyone to make arrangements for Form-47 for me […] Our only demand is of free and fair elections and neutrality”.

“The PPP demand free and fair elections in the past, and today too, we demand free and fair elections in GB.”

Noting that the US-Israeli war on Iran had resulted in financial challenges across the world, he urged the people to elected people who were people-friendly.

“If the financial crisis deepens, who would you want to represent you? Would you want the PML-N represent? If you believe that the PML-N can be the voice of the poor, youth and labourers […] elect them. But I believe that there is no option other than the PPP for the farmers, poor and low-income segments during a finanial crisis,” he argued.

Giving the example of the Benazir Income Support Programme in this regard, he alleged that other parties wanted to “sabotage” it and end it.

More to follow