The game of terror must end now

By Dj Mathal

The wave of terror has again struck Gilgit-Baltistan and that too with much intensity this time. For a short period, this mayhem had stopped but now it has again started to raise its ugly head in the region. In the latest incident, a passenger bus coming to the Gilgit city from Basin was hit killing innocent people including a child. More ironically, the culprits after committing such barbarity remain scot-free and there is no hope that they would ever be apprehended.

The incidents of such killings in the region are not new and when we look at the history of the past about two decades, we find such types of incidents happening without break. One thing common in all such happenings though is that none of the culprits has ever been rounded up by the state.

The brutal killing of innocent villagers in the area by a Lashkar during the era of dictator Zia is still fresh in the memories of the masses of Gilgit-Baltistan. Similar is the case with the sectarian killing of 2005, when a large number of people were killed in marketplaces and bazaars besides torching public property in the region. It is a moment of reflection that those killed belonged to the region and the property destroyed was also owned by the locals. Then who are those who committed such types of barbarity against the two million people of the region.

It is also strange that those who have been ruling the region have never bothered to expose the responsible elements for the serial killing and destruction in the region and neither have they ever tried to take steps to check such happenings. Besides, no judicial inquiries are held to find out the truth about such incidents.

According to our information, Pakistani intelligence agencies have been involved in all acts of terrorism in the region. It is strange and condemnable that the Pakistani establishment and its cohorts are continuing such anti-people sabotage activities to achieve their vested interests in the region without any check.

The Pakistani establishment never wants that the human loving people of Gilgit-Baltistan get themselves united for their collective good and achieve their rights denied to them for the last over six decades. Otherwise how it is possible that terrorist can strike their targets without any difficulty and that too when the prime minister of Pakistan is sitting in the city and there is high alert security all around? And then Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announces that there prevails exemplary peace in whole the region of Gilgit-Baltistan and a handful of terrorists are trying to create law and order situation in a small pocket of the Gilgit city which will be eliminated through a committee which he orders to be formed. 

Gilgit is burning but the PM is announcing that there prevails exemplary peace in the area. However, we should appreciate his sagacity for what he said during his quite long speech and that too in a passing way that “he was not being allowed to come to Gilgit-Baltistan.” We should ask the question that who are these people who have in the past too tried to stop a number of prime ministers from coming to this region. If we ponder over the issue it is not difficult to answer this question. Everyone knows that those who consider themselves to be the born rulers of this region do not want the two million people of Gilgit-Baltistan to run their affairs on their own.

It is a fact that the establishment and security agencies go to whatever extent to make the people of the region hostage in order to perpetuate their grip in the region and continue with the plundering the rich resources of Gilgit-Baltistan. We can see that whenever somebody even thought of ensuring basic facilities in the region and introducing people welfare projects, these hidden hands went into a killing spree in the region creating terror among the population.

The same is happening today when there is talk of some so called development and reforms, these forces have swung into action and carrying out their anti-human activities in the region. What would be more horrible when such killings and mayhem go on right under the nose of the prime minister of Pakistan and he is even unable to announce a judicial inquiry into the gory incidents to expose the culprits and stop such occurrences in the future?

Time is fast changing and there will be limit to such types of killing and arson. We warn the establishment of Pakistan to change its attitude towards the two million people of Gilgit-Baltistan. What we say about it is not just an allegation. Two policemen and an employee of the municipality have been arrested on the charge of the recent terror activities. It seems that such grip on Gilgit-Baltistan will not last long. Common sense should be used and instead of creating a foe in the north, a good neighbour should be made for the good of the country as a whole. By giving the right of self rule to the over two million people of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan can control any future incidents of terror based on sectarianism and ethnicity.

It is time the democratic government of Pakistan adopted measures to end the deprivation and despondency among the masses of the region instead of making hollow claims through a bogus package that the people of the region have been empowered to decide their future on their own. Political shenanigans of the past will not work as the world has entered the era of science and technology.