GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman on Saturday announced that local bodies elections would be held in the region before June next year.

Owing to technical and legal complications holding of local government elections in GB remained difficult for many years, but the new census had removed such hurdles, Mr Rehman said, according a press release issued by the Chief Minister House here. It said that the chief minister along with senior minister Akbar Taban met various delegations in Islamabad.

He claimed that the PML-N-led government was fulfilling the promises it had made with the people of GB.

`The federal government released funds for establishment of Baltistan University in Skardu; PC-1 has been approved for establishment of Nawaz Sharif Medical College in the region; besides the central government has approved setting up of Karakoram International University`s campuses in Diamer and Ghizer districts,` the chief minister noted. He said that projects like cardiac and cancer hospitals were underway, which would be completed during the tenure of the PML-N government.

Mr Rehman said 100 development projects for GB had been included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The press release said the chief minister also met Wapda Chairman Muzamil Hussain to discuss the ongoing power projects, including the Diamer-Basha Dam.

The Wapda chief said that 98 per cent land compensation had been paid to the Diamer-Bahsha Dam-affected people. He said work on Harpo hydropower project would begin by the end of current year.

The GB chief minister demanded of the Wapda chief to take measures to protect the people from the environmental impacts of the dam project.