Not aware of move to make Gilgit-Baltistan province: Pak envoy

NEW DELHI: Pakistan's envoy to India Abdul Basit today said he is not aware whether Gilgit-Baltistan was being announced as the country's fifth province, even though the region is part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Basit said he has not seen any proposal pertaining to the matter and was unaware if it was "really happening".

"I have to be very frank and honest with you I have not seen any proposal to this effect so I would not like to comment on that because I have not seen anything to that effect," he told NewsX in an interview.

The channel released a press statement quoting Basit.

Asked about dialogue between the two neighbours, he said Pakistan does not believe in preconditions and as "mature nations" both countries must avoid them.

"In past whenever we engaged with each other, we were able to lead good positive results," he said.

Basit, appointed as Pakistan's High Commissioner to India in 2014, said terrorism was an issue for both countries.

"Both countries need to work. There is mutual distrust and we need to plug trust deficit as we tried to do post-Pathankot (attack)," he said.