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Stirrings of rebellion in Gilgit

Sensing more political turmoil in the Northern Areas, Pakistan's military rulers have begun employing arm-twisting tactics to suppress the movement for independence launched by the Gilgit-Baltistan Thinkers Forum.

Forum chairman Wajahat Khan was subjected to harassment for holding a press conference in Islamabad recently where he launched a blistering attack on the country's government for denying the Northern Areas, which were illegally annexed, their rights. Many journalists were not even allowed to enter the press conference venue.

For the first time human rights activists have raised their voice against the suppression of the rights of the people of the area who are living a life of isolation and are subjected to intimidation.

Wajahat said in a statement received in Islamabad that Pakistan had never trusted the people of Gilgit-Baltistan on Kashmir and never consulted them on the issue despite they being the most important party to it.

He said the Pakistani government masterminded bomb explosions in Gilgit on August 14 and then arrested 13 persons in an attempt to sabotage a protest rally by nationalist political parties to highlight the plight of the people.

Pakistan's Independence Day was observed by the people of Gilgit as a 'day of deprivation'. At present, the government is ruling the Northern Areas through a grade 17 or 18 official who is later given the rank of minister. This minister has no power as far as financial affairs and development are concerned. "The minister can only order the transfer of teachers," he said.

According to Wajahat, there is no mention of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan's constitution spread over 12 chapters. Therefore, Pakistani rule over the areas is illegal. As admitted by Pakistani rulers from time to time, these areas ought to be treated as a foreign country, he said.

S M Agha, president of the Balwaristan National Front, said in a statement that law in the northern areas was operating to "suppress rather than reform or redress". He said the sedition cases filed against the demonstrators at Hunza during the Kargil war would be dug up only when any of the indicted persons tried to create trouble.

In spite of having won their 'freedom', the Northern Areas today appear to be worse off than Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Until 1984 the Pakistani rulers fooled us into believing that we were Pakistanis. Now they say we are not," said Major (retd) Hussain Shah, president of the Muttahida Quami Party.

During the past 53 years, the Northern Areas have been exclusively under the control of the Pakistani bureaucracy. The local people have occasionally lost patience with the bureaucrats and violent political outbursts have taken place since 1971.

UNI

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