Our Correspondent
Gilgit
Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the granting of the provisional-provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Sunday, as he arrived in the area to attend its 73rd Independence Day celebrations.
The premier, who arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan in the afternoon to mark the 73rd Independence Day of the region, was speaking to the attendees and participants of the Azadi Parade.
“One of the reasons for me coming to Gilgit-Baltistan is to announce that we have decided to grant Gilgit-Baltistan the provisional provincial status,” he said. “We have taken this decision keeping in mind the UN Security Council’s resolutions,” added the prime minister.
Imran said that he could not announce or talk about the development packages for Gilgit-Baltistan since it would be a violation of the stated procedures as elections were about to take place in the area.
“However, I will tell you that it is our government’s foremost policy to develop Pakistan’s poor that amount to 25% of the population and the country’s backward areas,” he said.
The prime minister said that one of the many reasons Gilgit-Baltistan remained backwards was because it was “cut off” from the rest of Pakistan.
“Insha’Allah you will see in the coming days, our development plans will go there [backward areas],” he said.
Turning his guns towards India, Imran said that the most racist and Hindu supremacist government in history was in power in India. He said that the citizenship and registration laws were enacted to target Muslims in the country.
PM Imran said that he could not stress enough the importance of a strong army for a nation’s security. “Pakistan is secure today because of its armed forces,” he said. “Our army is the main reason why we haven’t suffered the same fate as many other Muslim countries.”
He blamed India for promoting sectarian hate in Pakistan, saying that New Delhi was behind fanning hate between the Shia and Sunni sects in Pakistan. The prime minister felicitated Pakistan’s intelligence agencies for rendering ineffective India’s conspiracies to spread anarchy in the country.
The premier lashed out at the Opposition, saying that so-called democrats in the country were targeting the military and the judiciary.
“Those who call themselves democrats have started a programme according to which they are discrediting the country’s judiciary and military,” he said.
He blamed the Opposition for trying to establish the narrative that General Elections 2018 in Pakistan were rigged. After that, the prime minister said, they tried to blackmail him on the economy and the coronavirus situation.
He accused the Opposition of attempting to blackmail him so he can forgive them for their alleged corruption. “Their interest is against Pakistan’s interest and this is happening. All of them have become one,” he said.
The prime minister said that since the Opposition cannot blackmail him, they have turned their guns towards the ISI chief.
“I thank Allah that they are speaking out against the army chief and the ISI chief. This means I was right in selecting them [to their posts],” he said. “Because if these robbers are speaking out against them then that means these two are correct people.”
He said that if one were to study the history of the Muslims of the sub-continent, he/she would realise that Muslims always used to fight with determination. “However, the most damage that was inflicted on the Muslims was through people of their own, their Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs,” he said, referring to the Opposition.
“These people are now speaking the language of Narendra Modi. All heads of state congratulated me on the way we handled the Pulwama situation,” he said, adding that it was disappointing what Ayaz Sadiq was saying about Abhinandan.
“And the entire purpose behind this is to blackmail Imran Khan so that he looks past their looted wealth and gives them an (National Reconciliation Ordinance) NRO. “I want to tell my nation today that Imran Khan will never forgive these dacoits.”
“The way in which they attacked the judiciary […] they are trying to elevate one judge,” he said, alleging that when they — who have “run away abroad” — are cleared in cases, like in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills money laundering reference, then the judiciary is correct but when the verdicts are against them, then the judiciary is wrong.
“Similarly, the pressure on the army is only there so that we forgive them.”
“I want to pay tribute to GB scouts and those shuhada (martyrs) who gave sacrifices and freed this region. I wanted to congratulate people of GB on another thing: our decision to give GB provincial status. This decision has been taken while keeping in view the UN Security Council resolutions.”
The prime minister said that so far, all his focus had been on fixing the economy which was now “set on the right direction”. He added that his focus now would be on upholding the law.
“I will look at the state institutions myself so that powerful convicts of the country trying to blackmail are brought into the ambit of the law. You will see in the coming days whose legs shake and whose forehead sweats.”
Every year on November 1, the region of Gilgit-Baltistan officially celebrates its independence from Kashmir’s Dogra family rule. Gilgit was liberated on November 1, 1947 while Baltistan was freed in 1948 as a result of a bloody freedom war.
“Our security forces are sacrificing their lives almost every week which makes Pakistan a safe country.
