Gilgit-Baltistan (AP photo)
Is Pakistan preparing to make Gilgit-Baltistan its fifth province? Amid ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Gilgit-Baltistan assembly has passed a resolution urging Islamabad to grant the region provisional provincial status, a move that could majorly redefine its administrative structure.
The resolution, moved by lawmaker Jalal Ali Shah, also sought constitutional and political rights for the people of the mountainous region. Gilgit-Baltistan, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, currently has a semi-provincial administrative status. Pakistan currently has four provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If Islamabad accepts the proposal, Gilgit-Baltistan would become the country’s fifth province under a provisional arrangement. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
The Gilgit-Baltistan assembly on Thursday passed a resolution, backed by both ruling and opposition sides, urging Islamabad to grant the region provisional provincial status, according to Dawn.