- Nawaz Sharif reaches Gilgit for campaign visit.
- Aseefa Bhutto to address Skardu rally.
- 5,000 Punjab Police personnel to be deployed.
Political activity in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) reached its peak ahead of the June 7 elections for 24 Assembly seats, as senior leaders of major parties arrived in the region to campaign.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif reached Gilgit on a short visit, while PPP leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari arrived in Skardu to address an election rally in constituency GBA-7.
Elections for 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly are scheduled to be held on June 7, with major political parties stepping up their campaigns across the region.
Nawaz reached Gilgit Airport by plane on a short visit, PML-N spokesperson Shams Mir said. The former prime minister later reached a local hotel from the airport along with other party leaders.
According to a PML-N spokesperson, Nawaz will meet and address party ticket-holders, as well as provincial, divisional and district office-bearers.
The spokesperson said Nawaz would announce the party’s “Vision Gilgit-Baltistan” during the visit.
Meanwhile, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari reached Skardu, where she is scheduled to address an election rally in constituency GBA-7.
Preparations for the PPP rally were underway near Yadgar Chowk, where the party secretariat is located. The main road near the venue was blocked as arrangements continued for the gathering.
Aseefa was received at the airport by Syed Mehdi Shah and other local leaders before being brought to Skardu.
According to reports from the venue, the rally was initially scheduled for 2pm but was later expected to begin at 3pm.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari are both expected to address the gathering.
Party workers and supporters were seen moving towards the venue in groups, while Skardu’s main bazaar was closed from both sides due to preparations for the rally.
Separately, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party chairman Aleem Khan also reached Skardu for the election campaign.
Authorities have also decided to send 5,000 Punjab Police personnel to GB for election duty. According to sources, the Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission had requested Punjab Police personnel for security arrangements.
Nawaz questions ‘ignorance’ of GB’s development
Nawaz on Tuesday questioned the neglect of GB’s development after his removal from office in 2018, saying many key infrastructure, energy and connectivity projects remained unfinished despite being initiated during his tenure.
Addressing party workers in Gilgit ahead of June 7 elections, Nawaz — who served as three-time prime minister of Pakistan — said he was saddened by the condition of roads in GB and questioned why major development projects launched during his government had not been completed.
“I wanted Gilgit-Baltistan to witness significant development. Seeing potholes on roads and unfinished projects causes me great pain,” he said.
Without naming any political party, he questioned why successive governments had ignored development priorities in the region.
“We seek votes based on performance, not by criticising opponents,” he said, adding that the resources meant for the welfare of Gilgit-Baltistan’s people should have been spent on their development.
Nawaz claimed that major projects in the region, including hospitals, hydropower plants and the Naltar project, were completed during the PML-N government, while many subsequent projects remained incomplete.
He said GB deserved modern infrastructure, including a larger airport capable of handling Boeing aircraft, and announced that he would discuss airport expansion with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Noting that he had travelled to Gilgit on a small aircraft, Nawaz said the region should have at least 30 weekly flights instead of the current limited operations.
He highlighted his government’s efforts to reduce travel time to Skardu from nine hours to three hours and cited the completion of the long-delayed Lowari Tunnel project after decades of inaction.
The PML-N president also expressed concern over prolonged electricity shortages in GB, saying a region blessed with abundant water resources and sunlight should not be facing severe power outages.
He said load-shedding lasting up to 20 to 22 hours in some areas was unacceptable and stressed that solar energy projects could help address the crisis. “Whether we receive votes or not, the people of GB should not be deprived of basic facilities,” he said.
Nawaz also announced plans to regularly visit the region every few months to monitor development initiatives and said he would ask both Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to pay greater attention to GB’s needs.
Referring to a committee formed during his government to address constitutional and financial issues related to the region, Nawaz said the initiative could not be completed because he was ousted in 2017.
He said the committee’s work would be taken to completion and expressed confidence that its final recommendations would benefit the GB people.
Describing Gilgit-Baltistan as the centre of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Nawaz said expanded trade with China through the region would generate prosperity and employment opportunities for local residents.
He called for the construction of a motorway from Mansehra to Gilgit and said all pending development projects would be pursued under his personal supervision.
The former premier said better healthcare facilities should be established so residents would not have to travel to Islamabad or other cities for treatment.
Nawaz proposed housing loans for residents, noting that many people in the region still lacked homes of their own. Drawing a comparison with Punjab’s housing initiatives, he said similar schemes should be extended to Gilgit-Baltistan.
He further called for interest-free loans for youth, scholarships and laptops for talented students, and announced plans to establish a women’s university in the region.
Referring to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, Nawaz said his government had allocated Rs100 billion in 2015 for land acquisition, but the project had yet to be completed despite the passage of more than a decade.
“The shortcomings lie with governments that failed to pay attention. We fulfilled our responsibility,” he said, adding that future PML-N governments would launch new development projects to address the region’s longstanding issues.
