Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Pakistan, and (2) the government of India, about the announcement by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 1 November of his decision to grant provisional provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan.

The UK has regular contact with the Governments of Pakistan and of India, including about regional issues and regional stability. We encourage both sides to engage in dialogue. The UK's long-standing position is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.