Report in The Nation, Nov 13, 2020
ISLAMABAD – Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur Thursday said the opposition parties deliberately deprived the people of Gilgit Baltistan of their constitutional rights to appease India.
Addressing a public meeting at Roundu, he said the government decided to change GB status four months ago but the decision was delayed due to resistance from opposition parties.
Amin criticized the leaders of opposition parties for their double standards and boycotting the meeting called by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for discussing the matter regarding change in the GB status.
He criticized them for attacking national institutions, which had been rendering great sacrifices to protect the motherland from enemies.
The minister urged the GB people to use their ‘right to vote’ for their future generations and elect Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for the development in the area.
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He said Prime Minister Imran Khan was the first leader in history who had the courage to speak against Islamophobia and Indian subjugation in IIOJK at world fora.
“Pakistan will never get a leader like Prime Minister Imran Khan who has compassion for poor segments of the society and determined to transform the country into Medina like state,” he remarked.
Amin paid tribute to the sacrifices by the ancestors of GB people for their Independence, regretting that the past governments failed to provide basic rights to the people of GB despite governing the area.
He said the PTI government had restore wheat quota for GB people, adding that the opposition parties had filed a petition in the Election Commission of Pakistan the other day for disrupting supply of wheat in the area.
The minister said opposition parties had admitted their defeat even prior to the elections.
GB voters will reject PPP, PML-N in elections: Murad Saeed
Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed Thursday said that PPP and PML-N would be knocked out in Gilgit Baltistan elections on the basis of their poor performance in the past.
In a video message from Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan, he said that the majority of the people overwhelmingly supports the vision of Prime Minster Imran Khan.
He said both PPP and PML-N ruled GB in the past but instead of working for the welfare of people and the development of the area the leaders stolen the national wealth and made personal properties.
The minister said that GB people were deprived of basic health, education facilities and the road infrastructure in the previous governments. He said that the federal government approved mega development projects for GB even before the election.
For the promotion of tourism of GB, the tourism model of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was replicated in GB for job creation and investment opportunities for the local people, he said.
He further said that the Gilgit-Shandoor-Chitral Road was part of CPEC and it would be linked with Swat Motorway to provide modern road facilities to the GB people.
The minister announced Insaf Health Cards for GB people under which every family would be provided medical cover of upto Rs 1 million. He said PPP’s bad governance ruined the province of Sindh from bad to worst adding those looted the national resources have no right to talk about the winning of elections. He said that PTI’s journey for Naya Pakistan was started in 2018 and now GB people will also join it for the progress and prosperity in their areas. https://nation.com.pk/13-Nov-2020/opp-deprived-gb-people-of-constitutional-rights-to-appease-india-gandapur