Gilgit-Baltistan (AP Photo)
Is Pakistan preparing to make Gilgit-Baltistan its fifth province? Amid ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Gilgit-Baltistan parliament passed a resolution urging Islamabad to grant the region temporary regional status, a move that could significantly redefine its administrative structure.The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution, supported by both the ruling and opposition sides, urging Islamabad to grant the region temporary regional status, according to Dawn.The resolution, submitted by Representative Jalal Ali Shah, seeks to obtain constitutional and political rights for the residents of the mountainous region.Gilgit-Baltistan is located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and currently has sub-regional administrative status.Pakistan currently includes four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If Islamabad accepts the proposal, Gilgit-Baltistan will become the country’s fifth province under an interim arrangement.
