Gilgit(National Times)- PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Monday that any new constitutional amendment should provide protection to the rights of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf any constitutional amendment has to be made anywhere, it is very important that the rights of GB are protected under it,\u201d Bilawal said while addressing a rally in GB\u2019s Shigar ahead of the June 7 elections in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this connection, he said, \u201cWe can take forward their struggle for their right of rule (haq-i-hakimiyat<\/em>)\u201d. For this, the first step would be to hold elections in GB and the rest of Pakistan at the same time, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen elections are held in Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of Pakistan at the same time, progress in GB\u2019s struggle for right of rule will be made in the true sense,\u201d he added. \u201cIf 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal also said the PPP would work towards getting the \u201csame rights and resources for GB as others under the 18th Amendment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of the right to ownership (haq-i-malkiyat<\/em>) for GB, he claimed that the difference between the PPP and other parties was that \u201cthey want to run everything from Islamabad; they want to run Gwadar from Islamabad, they want to run Karachi from Islamabad\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Addressing the rally\u2019s participants, Bilawal said, \u201cYou have been facing it. You have faced the consequences of your fate being decided in Islamabad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He asserted that the people of GB should make decisions for the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PPP chairperson also questioned the need for the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and GB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat 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 to end this ministry. And then all political, financial and administrative authority should be transferred to the assemblies in Gilgit and Muzaffarabad,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He claimed that some other political parties viewed \u201cyour mountains, your resources under the earth, and your marble are their resources. But they are not their but your resources\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He further said the PPP had also worked towards getting people their right to livelihood (haq-i-rozgar<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI 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 [\u2026] When that happens, you will not just get employment for your youth, but for people from across Pakistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bilawal said the PPP\u2019s manifesto for GB was to get its people their rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Urging the people to vote for the PPP candidate in the upcoming elections, he said: \u201cYou make arrangements for Form-45, I will make arrangements for Form-47.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following his remarks about the two forms, Bilawal added, \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also said the PPP was a democratic party and had \u201cnever asked anyone for favours. We never requested anyone to select us. I never requested anyone to make arrangements for Form-47 for me [\u2026] Our only demand is for free and fair elections and neutrality\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe PPP demanded free and fair elections in the past, and today too, we demand free and fair elections in GB.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Noting that the US-Israeli war on Iran had resulted in financial challenges across the world, he urged citizens to elect representatives who were public-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf the financial crisis deepens, who would you want to represent you? Would you want the PML-N to represent? If you believe that the PML-N can be the voice of the poor, youth and labourers [\u2026] elect them. But I believe that there is no option other than the PPP for the farmers, poor and low-income segments during a financial crisis,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Giving the example of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in this regard, he alleged that other parties wanted to \u201csabotage\u201d it and end it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey now want to devolve it to provinces. Yes, it\u2019s also the provinces\u2019 responsibility to serve the poor, but the Centre fulfils this responsibility across the world,\u201d he said, adding that the BISP was the only means for the Centre to reach the poor in far-flung areas across Pakistan and help them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added, \u201cIf it is devolved to provinces, what will Gilgit-Baltistan do? Does GB have the budget to run this programme? Devolving it to provinces means ending this programme.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vowing to protect the BISP, he urged the people to foil the \u201cconspiracy\u201d against the programme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gilgit(National Times)- PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Monday that any new constitutional amendment should provide protection to the rights of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). \u201cIf any constitutional amendment has to be made anywhere, it is very important that the rights of GB are protected under it,\u201d Bilawal said while addressing a rally in GB\u2019s Shigar ahead […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n