Islamabad: In a move with far-reaching implications, the Pakistan government on Saturday approved a self-governance and reforms package for the Northern Areas, renaming it as "Gilgit-Baltistan", part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The strategically located Northern Areas, which borders the North West Frontier Province to the west, Afghanistan and China to the north and Jammu and Kashmir to the east, will have rights akin to those of Pakistan's four provinces, said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
The "Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order 2009", unveiled by Gilani at a news conference, is also aimed at giving the Northern Areas "full internal autonomy" and changing the region's name to Gilgit-Baltistan.
The order will come into effect after President Asif Ali Zardari formally ratifies it by issuing an official notification.
Federal Minister Farooq Sattar told reporters separately that elections will be held in the Northern Areas in the next three months to install a government like the one in PoK.
Sattar also said a cabinet committee will be constituted to "remove hurdles for merging Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan in accordance with the resolutions of the UN".
India says that the Northern Areas are part of its territory as they were part of Jammu and Kashmir.
The new package for the Northern Areas was approved earlier on Saturday by a special meeting of the cabinet chaired by Gilani. The Prime Minister said the issue was finalised only after consulting all stakeholders, including the foreign ministry and the government of PoK.
Asked why the Northern Areas were not given the status of a province, he said, "Like in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), we are giving them the rights of the provinces but according to the constitution, we can't (give them the status of a province)."
The proposed Gilgit-Baltistan assembly will frame its own rules of procedures while legislation on governance will be formulated by the council and assembly, Gilani said.
There region will have a Governor who will be appointed by the President and a chief minister elected by the assembly. The assembly will have 24 directly elected members.
Till the election of a new assembly, Kashmir and Northern Areas Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira will act as Governor,he said.
The government's move is apparently aimed at addressing complaints from the people of the Northern Areas that they had no representation in the National Assembly and that the Pakistani constitution did not apply in their region.
Some groups in the Northern Areas had also launched a movement for the creation of an independent Balawaristan, the ancient name for the region.
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