Islamabad challenges GB Order 2018 suspension in Supreme Court of Pakistan
Islamabad: The federal government of Pakistan has submitted a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against suspension of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018.
The federal govt. has maintained that the Supreme Appellate Court of Pakistan, which suspended the newly promulgated ‘reforms’ order, does not have the authority to suspend any action of the federal government.
It is pertinent to note that in the past also decision/actions of courts located in Gilgit-Baltistan have been rejected by courts located in mainland Pakistan.
In the past, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had directed the federal government to provide all citizenship rights to the citizens of GIlgit-Baltistan, but successive governments have failed to do so.
The GB Order 2018 has vested most of the powers in the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and under the Order the region’s courts, and the assembly, are subservient to the wishes of the PM, who enjoys exclusive legislative and administrative powers overriding the authority of the region’s elected representatives.
Questions are also being asked, if the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in which GIlgit-Baltistan is not represented, has the authority to decide matters related to the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which the Foreign Office of Pakistan calls “disputed”.
