SKARDU, June 2: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called for greater political and administrative autonomy for Gilgit-Baltistan, arguing that the region’s future should be shaped by its own people rather than decisions made in Islamabad.
Addressing a large public gathering in Shigar during his election campaign tour of Gilgit-Baltistan, Bilawal said any future constitutional arrangement concerning the region must safeguard the rights of its residents. His remarks come just days before the June 7 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections, a contest that has drawn significant attention from Pakistan’s major political parties.
The PPP chairman stressed what he described as the region’s “right of self-governance,” maintaining that Gilgit-Baltistan should enjoy powers and resources similar to those provided to Pakistan’s provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment. According to Bilawal, meaningful progress can only occur when local institutions are empowered to make decisions regarding development, finances, and governance.
In one of the most notable parts of his speech, Bilawal questioned the continued need for the federal Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan. He argued that political, financial, and administrative authority should be transferred directly to elected assemblies in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir rather than remaining concentrated at the federal level.
He also emphasized local ownership of natural resources, saying the mountains, minerals, and other assets of Gilgit-Baltistan belong first and foremost to its people. Greater control over those resources, he argued, could create employment opportunities for local youth and stimulate broader economic growth across the region.
Bilawal further proposed that elections in Gilgit-Baltistan should eventually be held simultaneously with general elections in the rest of Pakistan, describing the move as an important step toward strengthening the region’s political status and representation.
The speech also touched on economic concerns. Referring to global financial pressures and regional instability, Bilawal defended social welfare initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), warning against efforts to dismantle or weaken the program. He said federal support remains particularly important for remote regions such as Gilgit-Baltistan.
The PPP leader’s remarks are expected to become a central theme of the party’s campaign in the mountainous region, where debates over constitutional status, resource ownership, representation, and local autonomy have remained at the forefront of politics for years. Gilgit-Baltistan currently operates under a distinct governance framework with its own assembly and government, but questions regarding its long-term constitutional position continue to shape political discourse.
With campaigning entering its final days, political parties are intensifying outreach efforts across key constituencies, making governance and constitutional rights among the most closely watched issues in the upcoming election.
