Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued a message on the 79th anniversary of Gilgit-Baltistan’s liberation and accession, marking 1 November 1947 as the end of Dogra rule in the region. The message reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the development of Gilgit-Baltistan across energy, education, healthcare, employment and public safety, and it set out a series of projects and initiatives presented as evidence of that commitment.
The anniversary itself commemorates a foundational moment in the region’s history. On 1 November 1947, Dogra rule came to an end and Gilgit-Baltistan acceded, an event that is observed annually as National Day in the region. The prime minister’s message on the 79th anniversary therefore carries both historical and contemporary significance: it looks back to the events of 1947 while also addressing the present development needs of the region’s people.
The federal commitment outlined in the message covers five broad areas: energy, education, healthcare, employment and public safety. Those areas together describe the basic infrastructure and services that affect daily life in Gilgit-Baltistan, from power supply and schooling to health facilities, job opportunities and the security of communities. By naming all five, the message presents development as a comprehensive effort, rather than as progress in a single sector alone.
In energy, two specific initiatives were highlighted. The 16 megawatt Naltar Hydropower Project has been completed, adding hydroelectric capacity in a region where water resources are a natural source of power. In addition, a 100 megawatt solar project has been launched, reflecting a move towards solar energy alongside hydropower. The combination of a completed hydro project and a new solar project suggests an approach that draws on more than one energy source, which can help to improve reliability in a mountainous region where conditions vary by season and location.
A further energy initiative concerns the distribution of solar panels to households. Around 100,000 solar panels, with a total capacity of 58 megawatts, have been distributed free of charge through a transparent digital lottery. The use of a digital lottery is presented as a means of ensuring fairness in distribution, by allocating panels through a transparent process rather than through discretionary selection. For households that receive panels, the benefit is a direct source of electricity that can supplement grid supply, particularly in areas where grid access is limited or unreliable.
In education, the message highlighted foundation stones laid for four Danish Schools, at Sultanabad, Bunji, Ghanche and Skardu, worth Rs12.46 billion in total. Danish Schools are a particular model of schooling aimed at providing quality education to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the establishment of four such schools in different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan would extend that model across the region. The total value of Rs12.46 billion indicates the scale of investment involved in building and establishing the four schools.
Higher education and skills were also addressed through the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme, under which 4,245 laptops have been distributed in Gilgit-Baltistan. Laptops are a practical tool for students, enabling access to online learning, research and digital skills, and their distribution is presented as part of a wider effort to support education beyond the school level.
In public safety, the message noted that the second phase of the Gilgit-Baltistan Safe City project has been inaugurated, while the Skardu Safe City project is being initiated. Safe City projects typically involve surveillance, monitoring and emergency response systems intended to improve public safety in urban areas. The inauguration of a second phase in Gilgit-Baltistan, alongside the initiation of a Skardu project, suggests an expanding effort to apply such systems in the region’s main centres.
Taken together, the projects listed in the message provide a snapshot of federal activity in Gilgit-Baltistan as presented on its National Day. A completed hydropower project, a launched solar project, free solar panels distributed by lottery, four Danish Schools, thousands of laptops and Safe City initiatives in two locations are offered as concrete markers of the broader commitment to energy, education, healthcare, employment and public safety. The anniversary message thus serves both as a commemoration of 1947 and as a statement of present development priorities for the region.
Source: Express Tribune.
