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Fear, despondency in Gilgit-Baltistan
By Dj Mathal
OMINOUS clouds are hovering over Gilgit-Baltistan and it seems everyone in this region has lost hope and lives in a desperate life with fear and anguish. In particular, the over 100,000 people living in the Gilgit city are the worst off with lack of security and deteriorating law and order situation. The people of the region have lost confidence on the security forces including the police. Whether the recent search operation in the city has worked to knock on the criminals, extremists and anti-social elements or not, it has surely disturbed and created fear and apprehension among the innocent and law abiding citizens of the region. Everyone is living in the fear that he may any time be rounded up and implicated in some cases. On the other hand, there are those political forces who though have the claim on the region but still are pushing the region to the point of destruction and no return.
In the constitutional and geographical limits of Pakistan there is a place called Kalabagh where Islamabad has been unable to construct a dam for the last many decades. Even powerful military dictators could not dare to start building the dam despite the fact that it could benefit the people of Pakistan after completion: the barren lands of Sindh, Punjab and NWFP could become cultivable and the power crisis in the country can be resolved. However, opposition by some political families in Sindh and the NWFP is given so importance that despite availability of sufficient funds, the project is not being taken up by the government of Pakistan. There is no political party or a political leader who can dare to launch a “save Pakistan movement” and compel the rulers to build the dam. On the other hand, funds have been allocated for construction of a dam in an area which still is disputed and not constitutionally part of Pakistan and where 90 per cent people have already opposed the project. The leader of the powerful party, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the chief minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif while addressing a forum recently declared that the construction of Diamer-Basha Dam was vital for development of Pakistan. He said the construction of the Diamer-Basha Dam should be expedited and completed on a priority basis.
The people of Gilgit-Baltistan have been opposing the construction of Diamer-Basha Dam for the last many years but their voice is not being given any importance. Why those who say that the construction of Diamer-Basha Dam is vital for Pakistan do not utter any word in support of the Kalabagh Dam? Shahbaz Sharif has no right to speak about launching a controversial project that too in a disputed region. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan are going to get no advantage from the dam. It is also ironic that despite forcibly announcing to build the dam against the wishes of the local people, there are also talks of giving all the benefits like royalty etc., to the NWFP by using whatsoever tactics are available with the rulers. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif is championing the cause of the people of Balochistan and vowing to ensure all rights denied to the province but he has never uttered a single word in favour of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan though it is true that injustices have been done with Balochistan. For the last 61 years the rights of the people of Balochistan have also been trampled; as a result, a sense of deprivation prevails in the province today. Besides, the youth of the province have become frustrated and their leaders are being killed without regard to the sentiment of the people and human rights. There are also reports of hundreds of people missing for the last many years.
Today Gilgit-Baltistan is being ignored like Baloch of today and Bengalis in the past. The rulers are living in fool’s paradise that there will be no voice against whatever injustices being done to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. However, they must understand that any revolt rising from the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan for the rights of the people will be difficult to suppress. It may be noted that Bangladesh was earlier constitutional part of Pakistan and Balochistan is also a province of Pakistan. But when popular voice started rising in Bangladesh, Pakistan could not suppress it. We believe that Gilgit-Baltistan is not a constitutional part of Pakistan but due to their peaceful nature, the local people of the region have been denied their rights for the last over 60 years and there are no prospects that their rights will be ensured and protected in the near future.
We have time and again pointed out in these lines that whatever government is in Pakistan whether it is civilian or military it will never give our rights so far denied to us and will continue its injustices to perpetuate its rule in the area. Those who had been making tall claims about ensuring all rights under a democratic government are now nowhere to even talk about their promises as the PPP government has also shown its true intention after the passage of one year in power. We also repeat today that instead of supporting outsiders we should come together and back up local political forces who are struggling for attaining their rights without banking on the political parties of Pakistan. We should not look to others for our rights and should stand on our own feet; that is the symbol of a proud nation.
(www.weeklybaang.blogspot.com)
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