By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam said that the development and prosperity of Gilgit Baltistan was a top priority of the Federal Government and progress work on all announced projects by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently would be started very soon.
Talking to the Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan in a meeting here on Monday, the minister said that to maintain the law and order situation in GB, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) would be established very soon.
The minister underlined that the incumbent regime was committed to launching mega projects for the promotion of tourism and speeding up the local mobility of the citizens. Federal Secretary Waseem Ajmal was also present in the meeting. CM GB thanked the Federal Minister for taking a personal interest in the development of GB.
Earlier, Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan was informed that every year Azad Jammu and Kashmir spends 30 percent of its budget on health and education while 40 percent of its budget is spent on development projects. The committee met with Professor Sajid Mir in the chair at Parliament Lodges on Friday.
The meeting discussed development budget of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
In the meeting of the Standing Committee, a briefing was given regarding the development works in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan during the last five years and the future proposals for coming budget.
The AJK chief secretary told the committee that the Human Development Index of AJK is 0.78, while the overall Human Development Index of Pakistan is 0.699. He said that apart from this, there is not even a single case of polio in AJK. He further informed that AJK had collected Rs54 billion in tax last year and this year the target is Rs75 billion. He said that the crime rate in AJK is the lowest in Pakistan.
He said that for the current year, AJK has allocated Rs24.160 billion for development works and Rs13.6151 billion for social works and Rs6.225 billion for products.
The Standing Committee was also informed that during the last five years Rs111,576.121 million was spent under the annual development program while the project cost under PSDP was Rs7,495.70 million during the last five years.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday emphasized the transformative potential of large-scale development projects in Gilgit-Baltistan, as their completion would bring a new era of development and prosperity in the region.
During his visit to Ghizer, PM Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone for various development projects aimed at boosting the region’s infrastructure and energy capacity.
He highlighted the importance of these initiatives to uplift Gilgit-Baltistan’s economy and shared his vision of leveraging the region’s tourism potential to bring prosperity to the area.
The prime minister, who was on a day-long visit to Gilgit-Baltistan, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the people of GB, recalling a visit to Ghizer in 2022 after a natural disaster.
At that time, he had directed immediate reconstruction efforts, and today, he celebrated the fact that the affected families now have homes again. He noted that the government deposited Rs. 5 million as endowment fund for Qandeel, a young survivor of the tragedy, which has since grown to Rs. 6.7 million to meet her expenditure.
Addressing the region’s pressing challenges, PM Shehbaz acknowledged around 450MW shortage of electricity in Gilgit-Baltistan during winter season. To address this, he announced the initiation of two hydropower projects and pledged to establish a 100-megawatt solar project within a year under his supervision.
Additionally, the foundation stone for a Technical University, originally initiated by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was laid, signaling further progress in local education.
To support students, the prime minister promised a fund to assist students at Baltistan University and Karakorum University who are struggling with tuition costs.
He also directed federal ministers and officials to thoroughly assess and address local infrastructure and highway issues promptly.
Emphasizing the potential for international employment, PM Shehbaz reiterated the federal government’s commitment to IT training, which would enable millions of young Pakistanis, including those from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to gain dignified employment abroad.
He also spoke of promoting Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism sector during recent discussions in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, expressing optimism that global investment in tourism would boost the region’s prosperity.
The prime minister paid homage to the sacrifices of Gilgit-Baltistan’s people, honoring their legacy of resilience and patriotism, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to realizing their dreams for a prosperous future. \
