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Pakistan Announces 'Provisional Provincial' Status for Part of Kashmir

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced Sunday his
   government had decided to give "provisional provincial" status to part
   of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

   India, which administers two-thirds of Kashmir and claims it in its
   entirety, as does Pakistan, has denounced the proposed status of what
   Islamabad calls Gilgit-Baltistan.

   "I would like to congratulate the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for the
   decision we have made to grant provisional provincial status to
   Gilgit-Baltistan, which has been their longstanding demand," Khan told
   a public meeting during a visit to the scenic Himalayan region with an
   estimated population of 1.2 million.

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