AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Islamabad, May 08, 2016 (PPI-OT): Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders on Sunday asked the government to give status of province to resource-rich Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to enrich Pakistan and accelerate Chinese investment in Pakistan. Undefined status of GB has resulted in dears among some Chinese investors which must be allayed immediately in the national interest, said Patron of the chamber Shahid Rasheed Butt.
GB must be empowered without delay which can also change the fate of Pakistan as it has matchless hydel power potential estimated to be fifty thousand megawatt, he added. Pakistan can get fifty thousand megawatt of electricity from GB resulting in increased economic activity, revenue, production and exports.
Shahid Rasheed Butt said that people of GB should no more remained deprived of their full rights as citizens of Pakistan which can have a negative impact on fate-changing China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The people GB got their region liberated and opted to become part of Pakistan in a bid to get their rights which couldn’t become a reality after almost seven decades.
A legislative assembly was formed in GB in 2009 and the area was given status of a province but deprived of full membership of the federation which is injustice. The legislative assembly has passed resolutions for full acknowledgement of the region’s membership in the federation but to no avail. FBR should not surpass its legal limits to slap federal taxes on people GB when it’s not full member of the federation, said Butt.
For more information, contact:
Jahangir Akhtar
Secretary General
Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry
Office No, 9 Block E, Super Market, Islamabad
Cell: 0344-5111174