Bilawal Bhutto Calls for Constitutional Rights for Gilgit-Baltistan
GILGIT – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, who defeated Dogra rule to gain independence and joined Pakistan, are still waiting to be fully integrated into the country. Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Amjad Advocate, Bilawal said that Pakistan responded to the struggle of the people of GB by imposing the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) system.
Bilawal Praises Bhutto Legacy in GB
The PPP chairman recalled that the people of GB remember Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who abolished the FCR system and introduced subsidies for the downtrodden masses of GB. He added that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto laid the foundation for politics in GB when she got the opportunity, and President Zardari granted GB administrative rights and identity. Bilawal emphasized that along with the interim status, GB should attain constitutional rights, expressing his desire to see the day when GB's representatives sit alongside him in the National Assembly.
PPP Manifesto Focuses on Rights and Jobs
Bilawal stated that the PPP provincial government will implement its manifesto based on three core principles: the right to rule, the right to ownership, and the right to employment. He advised the public to form farming collectives and utilize public-private partnerships once land ownership rights are fully granted. The PPP chairman assured that the new chief minister would provide government jobs strictly on merit.
Local Body Elections Before Winter
Bilawal announced plans to hold local body elections in Gilgit-Baltistan before the onset of the winter season. He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), and PTI-backed candidates for supporting the historic election of the Chief Minister. He assured PML-N that PPP would work cooperatively, ensuring the opposition does not feel excluded from governance. “In GB, we will break this myth, and work together with other political parties,” he said.
Geo-Strategic Importance and Tribute to Soldiers
Bilawal highlighted the geo-strategic importance of the region, saluting the soldiers manning the toughest borders in GB. He said those soldiers protect the lives of the people of GB and Kashmir while facing India on the other side. The people of GB and Azad Kashmir value the contribution of the soldiers and are proud to host them. Bilawal strongly condemned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, accusing it of attempting to destabilize Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, GB, and AJK through cross-border proxies. He noted that India is replicating failed Israeli tactics used against Iran.
Indus Water Treaty and AJK Elections
The chairman vowed that Pakistan would not compromise on the Indus Water Treaty, declaring that the people from GB to Sindh will defend the Indus River. Bilawal invited all political parties in Azad Kashmir to participate in the upcoming elections. He announced that if PPP wins, the party will host a Joint Constitutional Convention for both AJK and GB to secure their political future without compromising their protected international status. Concluding his address, the chairman paid tribute to the Pakistan Army soldiers deployed along the world’s toughest borders in GB and AJK, labeling both regions as the economic “Kohinoor” of Pakistan.
