GILGIT: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the federal government is actively working to support the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and the region’s development is among its top priorities.
The prime minister said this while chairing a special meeting of the GB cabinet after he arrived in Gilgit for a daylong visit. He was accompanied by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar, Amir Muqam, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other officials.
PM Shehbaz announced an immediate allocation of 100 megawatts of power for Gilgit-Baltistan and a Rs1 billion merit-based endowment fund for Baltistan University and Karakoram University students.
He expressed satisfaction over the timely completion of Bubar Model Village, a housing project for those displaced by the 2022 floods, which he had inaugurated previously.
The premier directed the Gilgit-Baltistan administration to develop educational institutions, sports facilities, power transmission infrastructure and other essential amenities in the Ghizer district. He also announced the establishment of Daanish Schools in Gilgit-Baltistan, modelled after those in Punjab.
Recalling his tenure as Punjab chief minister, Mr Sharif highlighted his government’s Rs1bn contribution to Gilgit-Baltistan’s education sector. He stressed the importance of federal-provincial cooperation in achieving economic stability.
The prime minister told the participants that the stock exchange had crossed the 92,000 mark, and rising remittances, an increase in tax return filers and a reduction in inflation have all contributed positively to the national economy.
He praised the collaborative efforts of all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in driving national progress, and highlighted his government’s special focus on the development of Gilgit-Baltistan, the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly Fata) and Balochistan.
PM Shehbaz also mentioned the Qatari government’s interest in investing in Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism sector. Federal ministers, GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, GB cabinet members and senior officers attended the meeting.
Earlier in the day, the premier inaugurated new homes for the victims of the 2022 floods in Buber village of Ghizer district.
Speaking on the occasion, he recalled his last visit to the area during the 2022 floods and the devastation at that time. He expressed satisfaction with the new housing but recommended third-party validation to ensure quality standards are met.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif interacts with a local woman in Bubar Village, on Wednesday.—PPI
He also directed the administration to immediately begin construction on a school, playground and dispensary equipped with essential medical facilities, including ultrasound and X-ray machines.
He instructed the education minister to oversee the school’s construction and called for installing chimneys in the new homes to safeguard residents from smoke exposure.
Governor Syed Mehdi Shah also met the prime minister to discuss regional issues. Chief Minister Gulbar Khan presented the prime minister with traditional Balti robes and a cap. PM Shehbaz also laid a floral wreath and offered prayers at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
