By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday stressed the need for steps to promote local businesses and economic activities to make Gilgit Baltistan (GB) self-sufficient as well as for inclusive and sustainable development in the area.
The president, in a meeting with GB Governor Syed Mehdi Shah and Chief Minister Gul Bar Khan, who called on him here, said the GB had enormous hydroelectric potential that needed to be capitalized for its development.
He said that GB was blessed with abundant natural resources, including mining, gems, and minerals, and called for their full exploration and development to bring economic prosperity to the area. During the meeting, the GB governor and chief minister informed the president about the development projects being undertaken by the GB government. They also apprised President Zardari of various issues facing the GB people, particularly the lack of education and health facilities, and unemployment.
They also requested the president to visit GB and address the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly. Emphasizing the constitutional reforms, the GB governor also pointed out the issues facing the universities and requested for president’s special attention for their resolution.
President Zardari underlined the need to initiate programs for the training and skill development of GB’s youth to equip them with employable skills as per market demand. He called for accelerating infrastructure development in GB as well as focusing on strengthening the education and health sectors to bring it at par with other developed areas of the country.
Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said that strengthening the tourism sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was significant to ensure the socio-economic uplift and generate economic activities in the area. The president, in a meeting with the AJK Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, assured that Pakistan would provide all possible support and assistance to facilitate investment in the diverse areas of AJK’s economy, especially the tourism sector.
He said that AJK was blessed with immense potential for tourism and a beautiful landscape, which needed to be fully developed to attract tourists. The two discussed the overall situation of AJK as well as the issues related to AJK’s development. President Zardari remarked that the AJK youth needed to be equipped with the latest skills and education to help them find gainful employment, besides contributing to AJK’s development. He said that Pakistan could assist the government of AJK in benefiting from the carbon credit markets. During the meeting, the president assured of his support to the AJK prime minister and his government.
The AJK prime minister requested the president to visit AJK and address the AJK Legislative Assembly. President Zardari also expressed grief over the loss of precious human lives during the recent rain-related incidents in different parts of the AJK and hoped that the AJK government would help the affected families.
The president also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment for continued moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) till the attainment of their right to self-determination. Condemning the human rights violations and the atrocities being committed by the Indian occupation forces in IIOJK, he called upon the international community to put pressure on India to end human rights violations being committed by its security forces and implement the UN Security Council resolutions.
