The proposed interim status would remain subject to any future plebiscite or political settlement of the AJK issue.
GILGIT:
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly unanimously passed a resolution recommending that the region be granted interim provincial status through constitutional amendments and necessary legislation, while also seeking representation in the National Assembly, Senate and other federal constitutional institutions of Pakistan.
The jointly adopted resolution calls on the federal government to declare Britain an interim province by introducing the required constitutional and legal changes.
It states that granting interim provincial status would not affect Pakistan’s principled and legal position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute nor modify its obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
According to the resolution, the proposed interim status would remain subject to any future plebiscite or political settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
The resolution also maintains that citizens of Great Britain should enjoy constitutional, political and democratic rights comparable to those enjoyed by citizens of other provinces of Pakistan. It offers representation of the region in the National Assembly, the Senate and other federal constitutional bodies.
The meeting further called on the federal government to immediately take necessary constitutional, legal and administrative measures to implement the resolution in consultation with all relevant stakeholders in Britain.
The resolution highlights the need to include Britain in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award to ensure that the region receives a fair share of national resources, allowing its people to enjoy equal access to the rights and development opportunities available in the country’s other provinces.
The resolution bears the signatures of Leader of the House Amjad Hussain, Leader of Opposition Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Vice President Malik Khalilur Rehman, as well as members of the Treasury and Opposition benches.
