PM Imran postpones crucial Gilgit-Baltistan visit due to bad weather

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan’s key visit to Gilgit-Baltistan, where he was going to announced historic development package, has been postponed.

The visit was delayed due to bad weather condition in the region. Next scheduled for the visit is yet to be announced.

The development package includes projects related clean energy, transport, communication, health, infrastructure, water supply, sanitation, and tourism.

Besides the development package, the premier was scheduled to address a public meeting in Gilgit during his day-long visit.

Last week, the premier approved a major economic package for the uplift of Gilgit-Baltistan, fulfilling the promise made before elections in November last year.

The premier gave go-ahead while chairing a meeting on Gilgit-Baltistan Integrated Development Plan, which is being dubbed as historic.

This is the first meeting after Senator Faisal Javed Khan announced that the premier has fully recovered from the COVID-19 and he has resumed duties gradually.

The projects related to clean energy, transport and communication, health, infrastructure, water sanitation and tourism are part of the package.

PM .@ImranKhanPTI today approved historic Gilgit Baltistan Integrated Development Package pic.twitter.com/n6rS2MFQao

— Adeela Khan💚 (@Adilaaawan) March 30, 2021

A hint about the package worth billions of rupees was dropped in January this year after Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid jointly chaired the inaugural meeting for preparation of an integrated plan for development of the region.

Following the meeting, technical working groups comprising relevant chiefs of ministry of planning and development and officers of GB were constituted.

An apex committee under the GB chief minister and an inter-ministerial committee under deputy chairman of the Planning Commission was also set to monitor the preparation and implementation of the development plan.

Later, the plan was chalked out in the light of the recommendations sent by the working groups and it was sent to the premier for approval.