GB government gets 1.8bn rupees from Islamabad
Islamabad: (PR) Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that Pakistan Peoples Party has played leading role in improving the lives of people of Gilgit Baltistan by giving administrative and financial autonomy to the region. The Prime Minister expressed these views while talking to a delegation
of GB, which called on him at the PM House on Monday.
The delegation was jointly led by the Governor and Chief Minister, Pir Syed Karam Ali Shah and Syed Mehdi Shah respectively. The delegation apprised the Prime Minister of the financial, administrative and other issues pertaining to GB.
The prime Minister directed Federal Minister Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo to arrange a meeting of the delegation with Finance Ministry so that they can work out mechanism to resolve the financial woes of GB and put it on a self-sustaining path. The Prime Minister also issued directions for immediate release of Rs 1.8 billion, approved by him earlier during his visit to GB so that they can tide over their financial problems. During the meeting, Syed Raziuddin Rizvi, member GB Legislative Assembly, announced to join Pakistan Peoples Party.
Raziuddin said that he was in active politics for the past 15-years and was elected to the Council on an independent seat. He said that his decision to join PPP was based on the policies of the party for the people of GB. Shaheed Zulifqar Ali Bhutto, he said, had created awareness among the people of Pakistan. Pakistan would prosper during the PPP government, he said. Talking about the Chief Minister GB, he said, he was the first Chief Minister who got elected unopposed.
Raja Pervez Ashraf while welcoming Syed Raziuddin’s decision to join the party said that this is a testimony of the love and trust people have in the party. Only yesterday two members of the National Assembly belonging to PML (N) joined the PPP, he added.
He said that Shaheed Zulifqar Ali Bhutto had a special place for the people of GB. This government, he said, had empowered the people, which had its own elected assembly as well as government. “I have always maintained that all historic decisions are taken during the PPP’s rule in the country”, said the Prime Minister.
The delegation comprised Professor Ghulam Hussein Saleem, Advisor to Prime Minister, Moulana Attaullah Shahab, Advisor to Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali Akhtar, Minister for Finance GB, Muhammad Jaffar, Senior Minister for Food GB, Wazir Shakil, Minister for Law Naseer Khan, Minister for Excise and Taxation and members of Gilgit Baltistan Council.-
What we have learned so far is that financial discipline is very difficult in the presence of so called democratic leadership where employments, bids, transfers & postings, quota and other important subjects are sold out, financial discipline can not be achieved unless and until we stop political interference and concentrate on rules, procedures and merit.
Unfortunately nothing is happening here in GB, I am sure that the current release of 1.8bn would not be enough to process payroll and other staff benefits of government functionaries. how we will generate funds for infrastructure and development?? Construction of mega projects??