Norther Area Reforms

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Northern areas legislative council status upgraded to Assembly​

Updated at 1550 PST
GILGIT: President General Pervez Musharraf Tuesday announced a maximum financial, administrative autonomy package for the Northern Areas, upgrading the status of Legislative Council to an Assembly with powers to make its own annual budget and development plan.

The President who flew into the scenic here early in the day, addressing the notables said that most of the 52 proposals prepared by the Northern Areas Legislative Council have been approved by the government.

"Most of the powers presently being exercised by the Ministry of Kashmir and Northern Areas would be transferred to the new chief executive and the legislative assembly under the package," the President said.

Under the package the Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) would now have the powers to prepare, debate and pass its annual budget and development plan. Also the post of the current Deputy Chief Executive of Northern Areas has now been upgraded to Chief Executive, while the current Chief Executive will now be the Chairman of Northern Areas.

The President said the Chief Executive, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of NALA can now also resign or face a no-confidence motion, which he added was a step forward towards greater democracy.

Northern areas legislative council status upgraded to Assembly

Belated but welcome developments..

 

[Spring Onion]

it was formulated long way back and done.
well done.

Hey Musharraf inaguarted the bigest hydel project in Norther areas today .

Now please save this thread from politking

 

[Spring Onion]

NA package termed historic, exceeds expectations of people

GILGIT, Oct 23 (APP): Public opinion leaders and general
public in the Northern Areas have warmly welcomed the historic
package announced by President General Pervez Musharraf giving
maximum financial and administrative autonomy to the region as
harbinger of new era of progress.
Speaker of the Legislative Council of the Northern Areas
Malik Mohd. Miskeen told APP that the package far exceeded their
expectations.
"We got almost double of what we had asked for," Miskeen
said.
He said owing to the efforts of President General Pervez
Musharraf unprecedented progress was being witnessed in the
Northern Areas.
Terming the power to the Northern Areas Legislative Assembly
to prepare and pass its annual budget and activation of the Public
Accounts Committee were of great significance.
However he said all these powers have greatly increased the
responsibilities of the people and members of the NA Legislative
Council (NALC).
"It is now our duty to meet the expectations of the
President and our people from us," he said.
Vice President of NA Muslim League and member of the NALC
Mohd Aslam Advocate termed it a historic day for the people of NA
and reflects the concern and desire of President Musharraf for
bringing the area at par with rest of the developed areas of
country.
He regretted that in the past the governments of the day
paid mere lip service and did nothing practical for the people of
the area.
He said the waiver of agriculture loans will greatly help
the people who have small land holdings and will assist them in
concentrating on increasing their agriculture yield.
Fouzia Salim Abbasi, member of the NALC described it a
historic day for the people of Northern Areas and thanked the
President on behalf of the people of the area.
She said it will bring about a revolutionary change in the
lives of the common man and facilitate them in solving their day
to day problems in a better way. - APP

 

[Neo]

Constitutional package for N. Areas​

GILGIT, Oct 23: President General Pervez Musharraf unveiled on Tuesday a political, administrative and development reforms package for the Northern Areas.

Addressing notables of the area after inaugurating the 18 Megawatt Naltar hydel-power project, the president also announced that the Northern Areas council had been given the status of a legislative assembly with powers to debate and pass its budget. The existing council has 36 seats, 24 elected and 12 reserved (six for women and six for technocrats) and it has the power to legislate on 49 subjects.

Gen Musharraf said that the deputy chief executive would henceforth be called the chief executive with full administrative and financial authority and the existing chief executive (a federal minister) would be the chairman of the Northern Areas government.

The president said that the chief executive would be elected by the new assembly.

He said that all administrative and financial powers of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas would be transferred to the Northern Areas government. The assembly will be able to take up no-confidence motions against the chief executive, speaker and deputy speaker. Gen Musharraf also announced that there would be an accountant general’s office for Northern Areas.

He said a seventh district consisting of Hunza and Nagir subdivisions would be carved out of the Gilgit district and two subdivisions of Dagone and Raundo will be set up in the Baltistan region.

The president also announced that cases registered by the National Accountability Bureau against officials of the Northern Areas administration would be transferred from Islamabad to Gilgit.

He announced remission of agricultural loans of up to Rs50,000 which would benefit about 12,000 people. Besides, mark-up on small and medium enterprise loans would also be waived, he said.

The president announced the setting up of a commission under the deputy chairman of Planning Commission to resolve boundary disputes between the Northern Areas and the North-West Frontier Province.

He said the regional development budget was being increased from Rs6.5 billion to Rs7.6 billion. However, the president did not say anything about the judicial set-up in the region which is functioning as a department attached to the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas.

The region has so far been governed by the government of Pakistan through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas under the Northern Areas Legal Framework Order, 1994.

Constitutional package for N. Areas -DAWN - Top Stories; October 24, 2007

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

The Balwaristan chaps have other things to say.

I rather not append them since I do not know the actual situation.