PM of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone and inaugurated several development projects during his one-day visit to Gilgit.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Bobar Model Village for Ghuzar flood victims, which was established for flood-affected families in 2022, and also distributed ownership papers of the houses among the victims.
On the instructions of the Prime Minister, the construction of 62 houses was completed. At the inauguration ceremony, the Prime Minister was given a detailed briefing by Secretary Works and Communication Gilgit-Baltistan Sibtain Ahmed on the provision of facilities in the newly constructed houses.
Speaking on the occasion, the PM of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that solid decisions were taken in meetings including the Governor and Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Prime Minister further said that in Gilgit-Baltistan, he met his sisters and brothers. The natural disaster that struck the Ghuzar area in 2022 wiped out the entire village. In a family, only her father survived along with an innocent daughter of the nation. When I visited there in August 2022, I felt very sad.
During my visit, orders were given for the construction of this village. The people of the entire village got houses and became their owners. They said that the government had deposited Rs 5 million in their account for this daughter of the nation. Those Rs 5 million have become Rs 6.7 million today.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan said that very detailed meetings have been held regarding Gilgit-Baltistan, in which issues of electricity and water in winter, as well as education, were also discussed. There was a fruitful discussion on many issues related to roads and infrastructure.
It should be noted that the foundation stone of the projects being laid also includes two hydroelectric projects.
The first project is the project to generate hydroelectricity from Attabad Lake, which has an initial estimate of 21 billion and a completion period of three years, the second project is the 34-megawatt Harpo hydroelectric project to be built in Skardu district and a completion period of four years, the third project is the construction of 6 grade stations in the first phase of the construction of regional grade in Gilgit-Baltistan and the cost is 19.1 billion and a completion period of four years, the fourth project is the Greater Water Supply Hunza, which has an estimate of two billion and a completion period of two years, while the completed projects include the first Naltar Expressway, the construction of which was completed five months ahead of schedule, the construction of an engineering block at Karakoram International University, which is the first engineering and technology center in the region, the project of Baltistan University One, the S-Fiber project by SCO, which ensured high-speed internet throughout Gilgit-Baltistan.
On the other hand, the PM of Pakistan, while addressing another event, said that I had visited the most beautiful area here with my colleagues. The Prime Minister further said that the federal government is also taking steps to develop tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan and the government wants tourists from all over the world to travel to this beautiful area so that they can see the beauty of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Writer: Faheem Akhtar
