Daily Times

Following the instructions of the Supreme Court (SC), the federal government has constituted a committee to review the legal status of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).

A seven-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, has given 15 days to the committee to reach a decision on the legal status of the region that has seen multiple protests in recent years against the denial of fundamental rights to its residents.

During the hearing on Thursday, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan stated that in compliance with the court’s order, he had written a letter to the federal government addressing the issue. Afterwards, he said, the cabinet constituted the committee to review the legal status of the territory. The bench, however, expressed concern that the formation of the committee meant that the government sought to send the matter into cold storage.

Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan, who is assisting the bench in this case, meanwhile, recommended that the bench should grant time to the committee, owing to the sensitivity of the matter. The hearing of the case was adjourned until December 4. Earlier in October, the SC had directed the federal government to take a prompt decision on granting provisional provincial status to Gilgit-Balistan in line with the recommendations of the special committee for constitutional and administrative reforms in G-B. The panel was formed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

A seven-judge larger bench had taken up 32 cases concerning the region’s constitutional status. The main constitutional petition was filed by the GB Bar Council through its vice-chairman Javed Ahmed.

Published in Daily Times, November 16^th 2018.