New Delhi, June 29: Two million people of the northern areas comprising Gilgit and Baltistan deserve some meaningful political representation as the poverty level in these areas is alarmingly high, says a Pakistani newspaper. In its editorial, "Dawn" said regardless of the on-going debate as to whether northern areas were a part of Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, the people of the region needed political representation immediately. "The toothless northern areas legislative council made up of 28 elected members has no real administrative or legislative powers. The northern areas do not form part of any existing administrative unit in Pakistan and are governed directly by Islamabad for all practical purposes but have no representation in the national assembly", the daily said.
It said the federal government's ambivalent position on the status of the northern areas had long deprived the people of these areas of any meaningful representation creating a sense of grievance among them. The poverty level in these areas is alarmingly high and the more enterprising Pathans of north west frontier province districts have largely taken over local trade besides bringing in and enforcing their own cultural values and mores that have been cause of serious conflicts in recent years.

Bureau Report