Overview
- The Gilgit‑Baltistan Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a joint resolution on Thursday asking the federal government to declare the region an interim or provisional province and to start required constitutional and legal measures.
- The resolution, signed by the chief minister, opposition leader and other assembly officers, expressly seeks seats for Gilgit‑Baltistan in the National Assembly and Senate and inclusion in federal institutions.
- Lawmakers also demanded that the region be included in the National Finance Commission award so residents receive a defined share of federal resources and equal access to constitutional protections.
- The measure was forwarded to Pakistan’s Parliament and would need amendment of the Constitution plus enabling federal legislation before any change takes effect.
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected the move as legally invalid and some commentators cited UN‑era objections, making the issue both a domestic constitutional matter and a source of immediate diplomatic tension.