GHAZIR (Dunya News) - Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that securing additional rights for Gilgit-Baltistan under the 18th Amendment remains a key objective of his party.
Addressing a large election rally in Ghizer, he said the PPP has a long-standing generational relationship with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, adding that no party would be able to take away seats from Ghizer and that PPP would win all three constituencies in the area.
Bilawal Bhutto urged voters to give his party a strong mandate in Gilgit-Baltistan so that it could ensure ownership rights, governance rights, and other constitutional entitlements for the region.
He credited President Asif Ali Zardari for giving identity to Gilgit-Baltistan and said it was now the responsibility of the younger generation to carry forward the struggle for rights.
He said PPP would pursue legislation on ownership rights if voted into power and would raise Gilgit-Baltistan’s issues effectively at the federal level. He warned that without a PPP mandate, other political forces could block such initiatives.
The PPP chairman also outlined plans for housing, employment, and social welfare projects, saying similar initiatives to Sindh would be launched in Gilgit-Baltistan to create jobs and improve living standards.
Referring to the Benazir Income Support Programme, he called it a major achievement of the party and said funding for the programme would be increased in the upcoming budget to support more deserving families.
On healthcare, he said modern hospitals would be established in Gilgit-Baltistan to ensure free medical treatment, reducing the need for long-distance travel for patients.
In the energy sector, Bilawal Bhutto highlighted hydropower potential in the region and said public-private partnerships could help achieve energy self-sufficiency.
Concluding his speech, he urged voters to support the PPP in the upcoming elections, saying a vote for the “arrow” symbol on June 7 would ensure rights, development, and a better future for Gilgit-Baltistan.