Col. Ubaid Sr. Minister GB Had A Meeting With His Constituents in Karachi

The other day, a selected number of notables and social activist from district Hunza gathered at the Aga Khan Gymkhana Karachi to welcome Lt. Col. (R) Ubaid Ullah Baig to Karachi after assuming his office as a representative of GBLA-6 Hunza and Sr. Minister for Industries, Commerce and Labour at the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA). During his visit, the Sr. Minister was welcomed with a bouquet of flowers which was presented by Aimen Rehmat while the meeting was arranged with the coordinated efforts of Mr. Ali Ahmed Shah, General Sec. PTI Hunza and his brother Mr. Rehmat Shah in Karachi.   . 

After brief introduction of participants, Mr. Fida Karim from Mayoon Hunza warmly welcomed and extended congratulation to Col. Ubaid on behalf of Karachi based people from Hunza. During his opening remarks, Mr. Fida Karim said that the people of Hunza from across the world including Karachi are super excited to have you at the helms of affairs as you have glowing family history and track-record of selfless community service. Furthermore, the repeated assertion of Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan and Chief Minister of GB Mr. Muhammad Khalid Khurseed to create a welfare state by uplifting the less developed areas and marginalized segments of our society have created much needed hope and expectations from our government administration and political representatives regarding quality, accountability and swift response in public service delivery and people-centric development programing. Therefore, on behalf of the concern people of Hunza, the following key points and demands were presented in front of Sr. Minister with the request to address the same on top priority basis to bring the less developed areas of Hunza like Shinaki Tehsil at par with the rest of developed areas of Pakistan.      

1. Connect lower Shinaki Hunza with the KKH through constructing of metalled road from Khizirabad to Nasirabad.
2. Ensure fully functional of Mayoon Power Project and upgrade Government Middle School in  Mayoon. 
3. Construct College especially for girls in Shinaki Hunza.
4. Immediately bring Lower Shinakis wheat quetta to newly constructed wheat depot at Hussainabad Hunza
5. Issue Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) to Shinaki Flour Mill situated in Khizirabad to smoothly operate it as soon as possible.
6. Upgrade health facilities in Shinaki Hunza.
7. Press District Administration of Hunza to timely entertain and address complaints and suggestions forwarded by people of Hunza through Pakistan Citizen's Portal and share with Sr. Minister to keep him updated on the same. 
8. In today's globalized world, people of Hunza are scattered across the globe. Therefore, it is strongly suggested Sr. Minister to remain updated and interacted with people of Hunza through all the forms of social media like Twitter, Facebook and whatsapp.  

Furthermore, Mr. Rehmat Shah from Shinaki Multipurpose Cooperative Society requested Sr. Minister to talk with Governor Sindh to allocate a place for construction of a hostel and a housing society for the Karachi based people of Hunza. It has also been suggested by Mr. Rehmat, CEO Industrial Support Services Private Limited and Mr. Mashroof, Clean-X Private Limited to ensure ease of doing business for local investors in GB through preferential treatments at Sost Dry Port, tax incentives, 24/7 availability of electricity, reliable internet, one-window services for investors, issue NOCs within shortest possible time, technical and employable skills trainings for local entrepreneurs and youth to promote trade, commerce and industries in GB. One of representative also requested to establish branch of PCSIR in Gilgit.   

Similarly, representative of Attabad IDPs discussed about the non availability of drinking water facility for them due to which they are drinking river water extracted through water pumps. Furthermore, they don't have road to access to local graveyard and facing issues in getting their equal rights from local communities in terms of water and other civic amenities for having their flats built by AKDN on shamilat land. In the same way, representative from upper Hunza highlighted their local level issues like unavailability of electricity, hospital, internet and mattled link roads to KKH.      

Mr. Liaqat Ali from Nasirabad raised the matters regarding the minerals lease policy related matters and Mr. Karim and Rahim from Khanabad and Hussainabad raised points regarding unavailability of health services and low quality of wheat flour with the request to separate wheat quetta of Shinaki and ensure timely issuance of NOC to Shinaki Floor Mill.

RESPONSE OF SR. MINISTER ON COMMUNITY DEMANDS:

Lt. Col. (R) Ubaid Ullah Baig, Sr. Minister for Industries, Commerce and Labour, appreciated Karachi based people of Hunza for their support during GBLA election and reiterated his personal and government level commitment to ensure merit based interventions to improve quality of life through access to basic services like health, education, livelihood and other amenities across GBLA-6 Hunza. For that purpose he said the following comments and commitments.

1. That the Shinaki Mattle road from Khizirabad to Nasirabad will be included either in forthcoming development plan in March or June, 2021 and will ensure merit based tender and allocation of contract to someone who have clean track record in delivery of projects within given timeline, budget and scope of work.
2. That electricity will be provided at all cost to Shinaki Hunza from Mayoon Power Project by next month and Govt. Middle School Mayoon will be upgraded to college level in near future. Rock repelling facility will also be establish in Mayoon within this year. 
3. Wheat quota of lower Shinaki will be shifted to newly constructed wheat depot at Hussainabad and ensure issuance of NOC to Shinaki Flour Mill to ensure smooth function of the same by 2nd week of March, 2021. 
4. Rural Health Center will be established at Nasirabad Hunza and will ensure availability of service providers and medicine at all primary health facilities in Shinaki Hunza.
5. Concern authorities will be directed to timely entertain and address complaints and suggestions forwarded by people of Hunza through Pakistan Citizen's Portal. 
6. All the people of Hunza are welcome to interact with Sr. Minister through all the forms of social media like Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp regarding their issues, challenges and ideas.  
7. Regarding land for a hostel and housing society for the people of Hunza, Sr. minister will interact with Governor Sindh and update on the same a next meeting with Karachi based people of Hunza. 
8. Regarding incentives and policies for ease of doing business in GB, all the points raised during the meeting have been taken into account with the promise to do the needful to promote trade, commerce and industries across GB. In this regard, he has requested local investors to consider to establish their businesses in GB as well where they will be provided all sort of support from concern authorities.  

Regarding other issues and ideas, Sr. Minister thoroughly discussed about ongoing projects and upcoming plans with special focus on forthcoming decentralization local government elections to address local level issues locally across GB.    

The meeting ended with vote of thanks and light refreshment and commitment to bolster this sort of interactions in the days ahead.