Provisional provincial status for Gilgit Baltistan top priority: Imran Khan

GILGIT: Prime Minister Imran Khan says it is the government's top priority to grant the provisional provincial status to Gilgit Baltistan as promised earlier.

He visited the region on Wednesday for the second time in a month. In his last visit, too, he had promised the GB people of their province being given provincial status.

The premier congratulated the cabinet and Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid on assuming a “difficult duty to serve the masses”.

Gilgit Baltistan will soon get a government which will establish new standards, he said, making promises of health insurance.

“I know your area. I know your problems,” the premier said.

He said PTI will soon introduce the Ehsaas Programme in GB too.

The premier's last visit was on November 1, just before the election.

'Ishaq Dar lied in BBC interview'

The prime minister commented on the recent interview of former finance minister Ishaq Dar on BBC News’ show ‘HARDtalk’.

If you want to see stress, you should have seen Ishaq Dar’s face yesterday, the premier mockingly said, adding that Dar lied in the interview.

Dar, who is also a close aide of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had revealed during the BBC interview that he owns only one property in Pakistan and that too, has been seized by the government.

Soon after his interview PTI lawmakers took to social media to bash the former finance minister.

'Nawaz and Zardari lie to go to London, Dubai'

In his address on Tuesday, PM Imran criticised the Opposition leaders too, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

He said he has known Nawaz and Zardari for 30 years. “We have seen God’s wrath bestowed on them,” he said, adding that Nawaz and Zardari lied to go to London and Dubai.

“People are dying from the coronavirus and the Opposition is holding public rallies,” the premier said.