ISLAMABAD: In a historic move, the government of Gilgit Baltistan on Monday notified four more districts in the region making the total number of administrative units to 14. As per the announcement of the regional government, names of these new districts will be, district Darel, District Tangir, District Yaseen and District Rondu. Previously, these new districs were sub-divisions.
It further clarifies that the Revenue Division, Police Ranges, Subdivisions, Tehsils and Sub Tehsils/ Niabats shall remain the same as previously.
There were 10 districts previously, namely Ghanche, Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang, Gilgit, Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, Diamer and Astore.
Gilgit-Baltistan is administratively divided into three divisions which, in turn, are now divided into 14 districts, consisting of the five Baltistan districts of Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang, Rondu and Ghanche, and the four Gilgit districts of Gilgit, Ghizer, Hunza and Nagar and four districts of Diamer and Astore are part of Diamer Division. The principal administrative centers are the towns of Gilgit and Skardu.
Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman, in April 2019, had announced that two more districts were being carved out from Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Speaking at a public gathering in Chilas he had announced that the Deral Valley and the Tangir Valley in Diamer would be two districts and a notification in this regard would be issued in May.
However, after demands from other parts of GB, the ruling party in GB had decided to add two more districts with the inclusion of Yaseen and Rondu. He had also claimed that Rs50 billion would be allocated in the next annual budget for setting up the new districts. He said 400 people had been provided employment in Diamer district, a 200-bed hospital would be completed in the district within seven months and Rs1bn would be provided for establishing a polo ground in Chila
