Tag: Ali Amin Gandapur

  • India in flames as govt moves to change status of Gilgit-Baltistan with representation in parliament?

    India in flames as govt moves to change status of Gilgit-Baltistan with representation in parliament?

    The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government plans to make Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) the country’s fifth province, two years after powers of the Islamabad-controlled council for the region were transferred to a local assembly.

    The government’s plans have been outlined by Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, who said the region will be accorded the status of a full-fledged province with constitutional rights such as representation in both houses of the parliament.

    “After consultation with all stakeholders, the federal government has decided in principle to give constitutional rights to GB,” he said, adding that the government has decided to deliver on the promise it made to the people there.

    PM Imran is expected to visit the region soon and make a formal announcement about the change, Gandapur said.

    While there has been no immediate reaction to the minister’s remarks from Indian officials, New Delhi has consistently opposed changes made in the region by Pakistan because it claims GB as part of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Gandapur also said that subsidies and tax exemptions for the region wouldn’t be withdrawn after the grant of constitutional rights. “Until the people there stand on their feet, they will continue to enjoy this facility,” he said.

    The minister contended that the deprivation faced by the people of GB for 73 years would end with the change. “Besides constitutional rights and a provincial setup, important steps are being taken for developing the region.”

    People familiar with developments told The Current that people concerned, including those a part of the establishment, had been in touch with political parties regarding the changes.

    “The PTI is backing changes with an eye on upcoming elections in GB so that it can make political gains and form the next government in the region,” an official told this scribe on the condition of anonymity.

    Preparations for the elections that are likely to take place in November are complete, and the distribution of tickets by the PTI will begin soon, they added.

  • Gandapur threatens to fire missiles at countries backing India

    Gandapur threatens to fire missiles at countries backing India

    Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan, Ali Amin Gandapur, is no stranger to controversy. From claiming that the previous government had let go of Kulbhushan Jadhav. He was also unaware of the Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice.

    Gandapur has made another faux pas — this time he has threatened countries supporting India over the Kashmir issue.

    Addressing a public gathering, Gandapur said, “If tensions with India rise on Kashmir, Pakistan will be compelled to go to war. Those countries backing India and not Pakistan [over Kashmir] will be considered our enemy and a missile will be fired at India and those nations supporting it.”

    What’s even more interesting is that when challenged on Waseem Badami’s show, Gandapur did not back down from his threats.

  • Video shows Gandapur accusing ex-PM Nawaz of ‘issuing visas to Indian spies’

    Video shows Gandapur accusing ex-PM Nawaz of ‘issuing visas to Indian spies’

    With tensions soaring on both sides of the border as the Kashmir crisis worsens, an old video of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur, accusing ex-prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif of issuing visas to Indian spies, has resurfaced.

    Fear grips Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) ever since New Delhi imposed a curfew after scrapping Article 370 of its constitution — robbing the disputed territory of its autonomy. Pakistan has strongly reacted to the moves on all fronts, as it believes the development could lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the troubled valley.

    Amid tensions running high, an old video of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader has surfaced, wherein Gandapur is accusing Nawaz of “issuing visas to Indian spies and employing them as millworkers”.

    He also accuses the outgoing government of “giving a safe passage” to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who continues to remain in the custody of security agencies after the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The video further shows Gandapur’s statements attracting a strong response from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair and the anchorperson, who ridicule the federal for his ignorance.

  • Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    As tensions soar on either side of the border, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced heading to the Line of Control (LoC) and leading from the front if a war breaks out.

    Heavy troop movements reportedly continue along the LoC in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) after India revoked Article 370 of its constitution last Monday.

    The move that snatched away the disputed territory’s autonomy, can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and ultimately result in the transformation of the region into majority-Hindu.

    READ: Articles 370 and 35A explained

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Gandapur on Friday eulogised those who had laid their lives for the Kashmir cause and said that if India imposed war, he would be in the forefront in fighting the occupying forces.

    “The entire nation stands in solidarity with Kashmir and if needs be, I will head to the LoC to fight the war,” the minister added.

    In an earlier statement, Gandapur had said that Kashmir was the country’s jugular vein and every Pakistani was ready to fight for it till death. He had further said that the country’s armed forces were ready to befittingly respond to any Indian misadventures.