3-Member boundary commission to resolve border row between Gilgit-Baltistan & KP
PT Report
Islamabad, March 16: The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, has approved a summary submitted by the KA Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Ministry, paving the way for formulation of a boundary commission that may ultimately lead to resolution of the border dispute between Gilgit-Baltistn and Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa.
The Boundary Commission will comprise three judges whose names will be notified this week. They will be required to study the land dispute and make recommendations to the federal government within six months.
An eight kilometres long patch of land has become disputed between the residents of Thor Valley (Diamer) and Harban Valley (Chilas) in the wake of the federal government’s decision to construct the Diamer-Bhasha Dam. Both regions have recently shed blood for the disputed land and both claim it as their own.
The people of Diamer have been using the dispute patch of land as their pasture for centuries, claim the locals. They accuse the residents of Harban of attempting to grab the land to reap benefits of the compensation and royalty, expected with the construction of the mega water reservoir. The residents of Diamer also claim to be in possession of historical ownership documents.
A group of people from the Diamer region has been on a visit of the Gilgit where they have met with members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, who have supported their demand and vowed to stand with them through thick and thin.
The Shandur polo ground and the adjacent areas are also disputed between the KPK and Giglit-Baltistan government. The Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly had recently accused KPK of attempting to grab GB’s land.
