GILGIT/ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced the immediate power supply of 100 megawatts for Gilgit Baltistan and Rs1 billion endowment fund for the universities students.

The prime minister, who chaired the special meeting of the GB cabinet during his daylong visit here, expressed satisfaction and pleasure over the timely completion of Bubar Model Village, which he earlier inaugurated, to provide housing facility to the people affected by flood in 2022.

He instructed the GB administration to establish educational institutions, playgrounds, power transmission and other facilities in Ghizer district.

Besides announcing an immediate power supply of 100 megawatts to GB, the prime minister announced Rs 1 billion merit-based endowment fund for the students of Baltistan University and Karakorum University.

Prime Minister Shehbaz told the GB cabinet members that the federal government would establish Daanish Schools in GB, on the pattern of Punjab province.

He said that his government was actively working for the uplift and welfare of the GB people.

He recalled that while being Punjab chief minister, his government had given a Rs1 billion gift to uplift GB’s education sector. He said that the provincial governments’ cooperation with the federal government for the economic stability was significant.

The prime minister told the participants that stock exchange has crossed the 92,000 mark and the increase in remittances, tax return filers and reduction in inflation were pleasant developments for national economy.

He lauded the role of all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and GB in the national development and highlighted his government’s special focus on the uplift of GB, merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The prime minister said that the federal government was taking measures to promote tourism in GB as Qatari government had also expressed interest to invest in tourism there.

Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar, Amir Muqam and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, members of the GB cabinet and relevant senior officers attended the meeting.

Also, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated a model village to provide a housing facility to the people of the Bubar Village of Gilgit’s Ghizer district, who had lost their homes consequent to the floods in 2022.

The model village has been built over 110 kanal of land. Every home in the village consists of two bedrooms and is equipped with a water supply, solar power, and road connectivity.

The prime minister, who earlier distributed allotment certificates among a few of the entitled people, asked the authorities concerned to immediately build a school, dispensary and playground for the village. The dispensary should be equipped with first aid, ultrasound, X-ray and maternity care facilities, he added.

He also called for the third-party validation of the project to address the shortcomings and asked to add chimneys in all the newly constructed houses to avert any untoward incident, particularly during the winter.

Wearing a traditional Gilgit cap Pakul and robe, he instructed Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to supervise the construction of the school at the village.

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who had also visited the flood-hit village in 2022 after it was completely destroyed, recalled teenage girl Qandeel and her father were among the only survivors of their family.

In his address, GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan thanked the prime minister for supporting the GB people in distress. He said the 2022 floods killed several residents in the Bubar village and the newly built model village was equipped with all basic amenities including connectivity.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif says security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan is the topmost priority of the government.                                        

He was talking to Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, during his visit to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday. The Prime Minister strongly condemned the incident of firing on Chinese nationals in Karachi yesterday.       

He told the ambassador that he has come to express his indignation at the incident and enquire after the health of Chinese nationals, who were injured in the incident.  He said it is a matter of satisfaction that the injured Chinese nationals are recuperating.                                          

The Prime Minister assured the Chinese ambassador that those responsible for the attack will be brought to justice, and he is personally monitoring the investigation process.

Shehbaz Sharif said instructions have already been issued to provide the best medical facilities to the injured Chinese nationals.                                                                     

He said China is a time-tested friend of Pakistan and such cowardly attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan are a deliberate attempt to damage the fraternal ties between the two countries.               

The Chinese ambassador thanked the Prime Minister for his visit and expressed hope that he will play his role in bringing the culprits to justice.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi were accompanying the Prime Minister.