The Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan is going through a serious financial crisis. This has lead to the authorities of the area to reach out to the federal government of Pakistan for assistance. Pakistan’s daily newspaper, Dawn, reports that the Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, Syed Mehdi Shah reached out to the government to seek help.
He met Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday. At the same time, he communicated with the minister about the situation. Meanwhile, he urged the minister to release the government’s funds to assist the region.
Sources of the national daily report that the Gilgit-Baltistan region depends on the federal government’s grants. Additionally, the governor urge the Federal Minister of Planning to release a sum of 500 Million for the endowment funds of Baltistan University.
While Iqbal, the federal minister of planning in the government of Pakistan assured the governor that he will try to get the Funds, the region is also facing an acute shortage of Wheat. The country is moving through a wheat crisis, leading to a sharp rise in prices for the daily community. However, this issue is further worsened due to the financial crisis in Gilgit-Baltistan.
In light of this situation, the region needs more money to buy an ear of adequate wheat for its population. As per sources, the government of Gilgit-Baltistan depends on the government’s funds to purchase supplies for the people. Accordingly, the population is currently expressing their unrest towards the government in the form of staged protests.
The regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir came together in protest of the government’s inaction towards the financial and food insecurity in the area. They burnt tyres and blocked the region’s highways to show their unrest. The protestors provided the media with the reason for their behaviour. They noted that they could not make ends meet due to the government’s inaction.
Pakistan is going through a critical economic crisis which has led to inflation, high commodity prices and financial insecurity in several areas of the region.
