Prime Minister administers oath to members of Gilgit-Baltistan Council

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday administered oath to the members of the first Gilgit Baltistan Council with a pledge to bring its people at par with other provinces of the country. "Our endeavour has always been to treat the people of Gilgit Baltistan at par with other provinces and areas of the country," the prime minister said while addressing the oath-taking ceremony held here at the PM House.
The prime minister said the government had also committed to inject an amount of Rs 15 billion in next five years for the rapid development of Gilgit Baltistan and to ensure its progress. He termed 'Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self governance Order 2009' as a landmark step to give people of the area their due political and financial rights that had never been allowed before.
"It has been the sole privilege of the people's government to give maximum autonomy to the people of Gilgit Baltistan," he said. Gilani assured that development funds for Gilgit Baltistan would be released at the earliest. He said with the start of work on the Diamer Bhasha dam, hundreds and thousands of locals will get jobs and the project will usher in an era of development and prosperity in the region.
The prime minister said the establishment of the Gilgit Baltistan Council will serve as a bridge between the government of Pakistan and that of Gilgit Baltistan. The Council set up under Article 33 of the Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order 2009 comprises of its Governor as the Vice Chairman and its Chief Minister as member. The Council comprises six elected parliamentarians from Pakistan and an equal number from Gilgit Baltistan.
Prime minister Gilani said the Council will provide an opportunity to the representatives of Gilgit Baltistan to gain from the experiences of representatives from Pakistan and for them to have a better understanding of the issues and problems of the people of Gilgit Baltistan. Gilani said the Council has been assigned 54 subjects for legislation including important areas of governance.
"It is now upto the members of the Council to ensure transparency, equity, justice, fairplay and efficiency," he said. He termed it a big challenge and hoped the members shall rise to the occasion to provide their selfless services in overcoming this challenge. The prime minister asked the newly elected members to give practical shape to the aspirations of their electorate who have wholeheartedly welcomed the Gilgit Baltistan Council and the Gilgit Baltistan assembly.