PM Imran in GB on occasion of region's 73rd Independence Day

Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday to mark the 73rd Independence Day of the region.

He took part in the Azadi Parade held for the occasion and addressed the attendees. "I am very happy that I am here for a second time to celebrate this day with you and it will be my effort for as long as I am prime minister to spend this day with you," he said.

"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 (UNSC) resolutions."

He said he could not speak in detail about a development package because of the upcoming elections but assured the people that his government would prioritise helping the poor and people from underdeveloped areas.

GB visit

The prime minister will visit the national park in Astore and review the work being done on the Diamer-Bhasha dam, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

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.

However, the struggle to integrate the region in Pakistan continues.

Various governments in Pakistan have tried in the past to regulate the issues of GB through reforms and executive orders. Recently, the region has come under the spotlight again when the federal government announced plans to give GB provincial status.

The decision to make GB a province of Pakistan was taken about four months ago, said Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday. “It was amazing for me to hear that the GB people had liberated themselves from the Dogra rule and decided to annex the region to Pakistan unconditionally,” he said.

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