Seeks suggestions for granting interim province status to Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid has sent a draft bill to the members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly and his cabinet on the amendment of the constitution to give Gilgit-Baltistan the status of an interim province. Comments and feedback are requested.

According to a report in Dawn newspaper, according to a letter attached to the draft bill titled 'Draft Constitutional Reforms of Gilgit-Baltistan', the Chief Minister wants the legislators of Gilgit-Baltistan to express their views as soon as possible.

Gilgit Balitistan

The draft proposes a number of important amendments to the 1973 constitution, which calls for GB's representation in the country's National Assembly and Senate, including the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Read also: Consensus on the provincial status of Gilgit-Baltistan

The draft proposes that by amending Article 51 of the Constitution, there should be four GB seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan, including one reserved for women.

Another amendment proposes that there should be two members representing the GB in the general seats in the Senate of Pakistan who will be elected by the members of the GB Provincial Assembly.

The draft bill does not specify the number of seats for technocrats, women and minorities in the Senate, but does say that a decision has yet to be made.

Read more: Proposed law to give 'provincial status' to Gilgit-Baltistan ready

The draft also proposes to convert the GB Chief Court into a GB High Court, in addition to extending the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to the GB.

The draft bill said that the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan would be extended to the interim province GB, the GB Supreme Court of Appeal would cease to function and the Chief Court of GB would be called GB High Court. Will be considered established under the order of

The draft further states that the principal seat of the High Court for GB will be in Gilgit.

Read also: Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly unanimously passed a resolution demanding interim provincial status

The draft bill also proposes to include a GB member in the Election Commission.

At present, besides the Chief Election Commissioner, the ECP has 4 members, including one member from each province. The bill proposes that after adding one member from the GB, the ECP will have 5 members.

Explaining the proposals, the bill states that the GB Chief Election Commissioner will be considered a member of the ECP appointed by the President of Pakistan till the completion of the remaining term of his office.

Read also: Declaration of Gilgit-Baltistan as a Transitional Province

The draft proposes that the Federal Service Commission of Pakistan will act as the Public Service Commission for the GB until the GB Public Service Commission is established.

According to reports, Pakistan's Ministry of Law and Justice had finalized the proposed legislation to give GB the status of an interim province and submitted it to Prime Minister Imran Khan for approval in July last year.

Despite growing political tensions in the country, the government and the opposition almost agreed on granting interim provincial status to the GB during backdoor meetings before the GB elections in August last year.