The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has passed a resolution urging Pakistan’s federal government to grant the region provisional provincial status. The move seeks constitutional, political, and democratic rights for Gilgit-Baltistan, including representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate.
The resolution, adopted with support from both treasury and opposition members, emphasizes that the provisional status would remain subject to any future settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Lawmakers argued that the step is necessary to ensure equal rights for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Currently, the region enjoys semi-provincial status under the Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009 and the Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018. The Sartaj Aziz Committee had earlier recommended granting provisional provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan, a proposal now gaining momentum.
If approved by Pakistan’s federal government, Gilgit-Baltistan would become the country’s fifth province after Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, India has strongly rejected the move, reiterating that Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The resolution comes amid unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and domestic challenges in other provinces. Analysts suggest the federal government may be using the issue to divert attention from internal crises while projecting a narrative of national integration.
