Pakistan has moved closer to granting Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) the status of its fifth province after the region's Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution seeking constitutional recognition.
The resolution calls for amendments to Pakistan's Constitution to grant Gilgit-Baltistan full provincial status and representation in the National Assembly and Senate, while stating that the change would remain subject to any future settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
POLITICAL BACKDROP
The move comes amid growing domestic challenges for Pakistan, including unrest in Balochistan, rising militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and protests in POK over political rights, inflation, electricity tariffs and governance.
The proposal follows the June 7 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, after which the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) formed a coalition government. The new administration quickly approved the resolution and forwarded it to Pakistan's Parliament.
REVIVAL OF 2019 PROPOSAL
The plan revives a proposal first announced in 2019 after India revoked Article 370. While the move was discussed under then-Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was never implemented due to political and legal concerns.
Pakistan now argues that provincial status would provide Gilgit-Baltistan's residents with constitutional rights and greater political representation.
STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE
Gilgit-Baltistan is strategically important as the gateway to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Analysts say provincial status could strengthen Pakistan's administrative control and provide greater legal certainty for infrastructure and investment projects.
INDIA'S STAND
India has consistently maintained that the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan, is an integral part of India. New Delhi has repeatedly rejected Pakistan's attempts to alter the status of territories under its control, describing them as areas under Pakistan's illegal occupation.
If approved by Pakistan's Parliament, the proposal would mark the biggest constitutional change in Gilgit-Baltistan's status and add a new dimension to the Kashmir dispute.
