Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who laid the foundation stone for the countrys third-largest reservoir the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Chilas on Tuesday, stayed in the area for an hour or two where he was accompanied by the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister, governor and Pakistan Peoples Party workers and leaders from the region.
According to sources, before Gilanis arrival in Chilas, two bullet-proof cars were flown to Gilgit via a C-130 aircraft and then transported to Chilas, about 124 kilometres from Gilgit.
The cars were used to escort the prime minister from and to the helipad, for a distance of approximately one kilometre, a government official said on condition of anonymity.
After the event, sources said, the cars were transported back to Gilgit by trucks and flown to Islamabad by a similar plane.
The prime ministers entourage comprised Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mehdi Shah, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Ahmed Khan, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, Minister for Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kauser and Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20[SUP]th[/SUP], 2011.
