Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment And Self Governance Order) 2009

The Government of Gilgit-Baltistan ( ur, ) is the government of the administrative territory of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Its powers and structure are set out in the 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, in which 14 districts come under its authority and jurisdiction. The government includes the cabinet, selected from members the Gilgit–Baltistan Assembly, and the non-political civil staff within each department. The province is governed by a unicameral legislature with the head of government known as the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, invariably the leader of a political party represented in the Assembly, selects members of the Cabinet. The Chief Minister and Cabinet are thus responsible the functioning of government and are entitled to remain in office so long as it maintains the confidence of the elected Assembly. The head of state of the province is known as the Governor. The terms ''Government of Gilgit–Baltistan'' or ''Gilgit–Baltistan Government'' are often used in official documents. The seat of government is in Gilgit, thus serving as the capital of the territory.

History

In 1970, the Gilgit Agency, the Baltistan district of erstwhile Ladakh wazarat, and the hill states of Hunza and Nagar were amalgamated to form the ''Federally Administered Northern Areas'' or ''Northern Areas'' for short. The territory was renamed Gilgit-Baltistan in 2007 and given self-government status in 2009.

Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009

While administratively controlled by Pakistan since 1947, Gilgit-Baltistan has not yet been formally integrated into the Pakistani federation state and does not participate in constitutional political affairs. On 29 August 2009, the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009 was passed by the Government of Pakistan and later signed by the President. The order granted self-rule to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, by creating, among other things, an elected Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly and a Gilgit-Baltistan Council. Gilgit-Baltistan thus gained ''de facto'' province-like status without constitutionally becoming part of Pakistan.

Executive

The government of Gilgit Baltistan consists of democratically elected body with the Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan as the constitutional head. The Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan is elected by the Provincial Assembly of the Gilgit-Baltistan to serve as the head of the provincial government in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Departments

The Executive Consists of the following departments:
* Home & Prisons Department
* Finance Department
* Law and Prosecution Department
* Services and General Administration, Information and Cabinet Department
* Revenue, Usher and Zakat, Excise and Taxation and Cooperative Department
* Food and Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Department
* Forest, Wildlife and Environment Department
* Education, Social Welfare and Women Development
* Health and Population Welfare Department
* Works Department
* Local Government, Rural Development and Census Department
* Water and Power Department
* Tourism, Sports, Culture and Youth Department
* Mineral Development, Industries, Commerce & Labour Department
* Planning and Development Department

Cabinet

Legislature

The Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly is a 33-seat unicameral legislative body. It has 24 directly elected members, 6 reserved seats are for women plus 3 seats are reserved for technocrats.

Gilgit-Baltistan Council

The Gilgit-Baltistan Council has been established as per Article 33 of Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment & Self Governance) Order, 2009. Its Chairman is the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan is the Vice-Chairman. It can legislate on 53 subjects as provided in Schedule III of the Order.
Other members include Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, 6 members are nominated by Prime Minister of Pakistan and 6 members are elected by Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

Judiciary

In light of a verdict by Supreme Court of Pakistan in the case filed by Wahab Al Kahiri, Justice Shehbaz Khan and others through Al-Jehad Trust Versus Federation of Pakistan, as per orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan established Northern Areas Court of Appeals at Gilgit vide Gazette of Pakistan, extraordinary, part II dated 8 November 1999 with Appellate Jurisdiction, The Court started function on 27 September 2005, when the Chairman and members were appointed. on 15 December 2007 by virtue of amendments in the Northern Areas Governance order 1994, the nomenclature of the Court was re-designated as Northern Areas Supreme Appellate Court and its jurisdiction was also enlarged by conferring Original and Appellate jurisdiction, It was also given the Status equal to the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Supreme Appellate Court Gilgit-Baltistan

On 9 September 2009, the Supreme Appellate Court was conferred the similar jurisdiction equal to the Supreme Court of Pakistan by promulgating Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self Governance Order) 2009. The Supreme Appellate Court is consisting of a Chief Judge and two Judges. The Permanent Seat of the Court is at Gilgit, but the Court also sits from time to time at Skardu Branch Registry.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court is the court of appeal and is equivalent to other provincial high courts according to Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009.Gilgit Baltistan Chief Court Gilgit
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See also

* Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan
* Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan
* Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly
* Gilgit-Baltistan Council

References

External links

Government of Gilgit Baltistan

{{DEFAULTSORT:Government of Gilgit-Baltistan

Provincial Governments of Pakistan