Pakistan’s fifth province? Gilgit-Baltistan assembly passes key resolution amid PoK unrest

Gilgit-Baltistan (AP photo)

Is Pakistan preparing to make Gilgit-Baltistan its fifth province? Amid ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Gilgit-Baltistan assembly has passed a resolution urging Islamabad to grant the region provisional provincial status, a move that could majorly redefine its administrative structure.The Gilgit-Baltistan assembly on Thursday passed a resolution, backed by both ruling and opposition sides, urging Islamabad to grant the region provisional provincial status, according to Dawn.The resolution, moved by lawmaker Jalal Ali Shah, also sought constitutional and political rights for the people of the mountainous region.Gilgit-Baltistan, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, currently has a semi-provincial administrative status.Pakistan currently has four provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If Islamabad accepts the proposal, Gilgit-Baltistan would become the country’s fifth province under a provisional arrangement.