“National Interest, Diplomatic Obligations”: Islamabad decides to continue Gilgit-Baltistan’s constitutional limbo

Gilgit: A committee constituted for recommending constitutional and administrative reforms in Gilgit-Baltistan has decided to suggest cosmetic changes, without devolving any real powers to the Gilgit-Baltistan government.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Council would be abolished, by all matters related to finance and revenues will now be directly controlled by bureaucrats at the Federal Bureau of Revenues, and other federal bodies.

Gilgit-Baltistan may have representation in meetings of various national bodies, but the representative will be able to attend the meetings on “special invitation”, while having no voting rights, making the arrangement ceremonial, and the representation toothless.

Basic Pay Scales of local bureaucrats, particularly the Chief Secretary and Secretaries, will be upgraded, which means that their perks and privileges will increase.

Many of the recommendations of the Sarataj Aziz committee have not be incorporated, including appointment of a member in the Federal Public Service Commission.

The local committee constituted to make recommendations had established through historical documents that the region has forcefully been linked to the Kashmir dispute, which has been completely ignored by the committee.

A summary submitted by the federal bureaucracy for approval can be read below: