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Gilani announces GB package ahead of polls

* PM declares Skardu ‘big city’ g Announces doubling BISP fund for Gilgit-Baltistan, Hill Allowance for employees of grade 1-15

SKARDU: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday announced a “revolutionary” development package for Gilgit-Baltistan.

Addressing a public gathering, Gilani assured them that the Gilgit-Baltistan election would be free, fair and transparent, and the government would encourage all political parties to run for the polls. He said after the election, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would enjoy complete internal autonomy as they would have their own chief minister, independent Public Service and Election commissions, and a separate judiciary.

Big city: Gilani declared Skardu a ‘big city’, saying that the city had already been upgraded to the divisional level. The prime minister said 200 schools and 100 dispensaries would become operational in Skardu by the end of the year, adding that Rs 2 billion had already been allocated for education and Rs 1 billion for healthcare.

Allowance: He also announced Hill Allowance for government employees of grade 1-15 and fixed their minimum salary at Rs 6,000. Gilani said the Skardu airport would be upgraded to the international level in view of the city’s tourism potential. He said the government had allocated Rs 100 million for the purchase of 100 buses for the students of Gilgit-Baltistan, adding that 33 buses had already been bought.

Gilani said salaries of police personnel in the area would be brought at par with their federal counterparts, adding that 5,000 more staff would be inducted in the police force on quota at the district level.

BISP: The prime minister also announced that the allocation for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan under the Benazir Income Support (BISP) Programme would be doubled. app

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