Why to deprive GB of its rights

By Dj Mathal

 As the civilized world observed the International Human Rights Day, the two million people of Gilgit-Baltistan still remain deprived of all basic rights let alone freedom. This may be the last colony of the world where the masses have been kept deprived of all forms of human rights. Even the residents of the region have no right to think and plan for their own future. There is a long history of subjugation which is continuing for the last over 63 years and still there is no hope that the region will come of the situation any time soon. There is no such example in the history of the world where occupies of a land have kept the people deprived of all their rights under false promises of meeting their expectations. On the one hand there are always talks of ensuring rights and on the other unthinkable and unethical steps are taken to suppress any voice raised for the sake of people's basic rights. And on the one hand there are talks and claims of rights and on the other the region has been kept deprived of its identity, right to rule and a constitution of its own. This is a region where one man's words are taken as a law of the land that cannot be challenged anywhere and if one of the dwellers raises voice for the rights of the downtrodden, they are silenced through all available means.
The 63-year-long rule of Pakistan over Gilgit-Baltistan has paralyzed the administration organs of the region. The public departments are no more in a position to accommodate the unemployed youth of the region and the state of the misadministration is such that lowly government officials have become the viceroy of their areas while the common man has been made beggar for necessities of daily life. In such a situation those who dare to speak against the brazen injustices and raise awareness among the masses about their rights, the rulers issue edict to the administrative machinery from officer grade to a cleric and peon to suppress them to such an extent that they can never raise their heads again. Besides, the weapon of propaganda is also used against those who are struggling for their rights. All this has kept the two million people of the region in a worst form of economic and intellectual exploitations and deprivations.
Unfortunately, usurpers have also used the scourge of sectarianism in order to dismantle the sense of identity among the masses of Gilgit-Baltistan. The exploitative measures have also paralyzed the thinking capacity of the people of the region to such an extent that now they look towards Islamabad as beggars for resolution of their issues and meeting their basic needs.
But despite all these injustices during the last over six decades, the faces of the rulers have been exposed and the people have gained much more political awakening. With this, there are hopes that the people who have so far remained in slumber may awake to the reality and fight for their denied rights. The people have now realized that their area is a disputed one and the issue has to be resolved in accordance with their wishes. The international community not only recognizes Gilgit-Baltistan as a disputed region but has also guaranteed that a plebiscite would be held to ascertain the wishes of the people regarding the future of the region.
The federation of Pakistan consists of four provinces and if anyone of them drifts away the federation will come to an end. It is a fact that in each village of Sindh, there has been the slogan of Sindudesh and in Balochistan the Baloch people have taken up arms demanding independence. To save the federation, Pakistan has been trying to offer the Baloch whatever is possible and the latest of them is the so called Aghaz Huqooq Balochistan package aimed to win over the Baloch. But the Baloch leaders say instead of ensuring their rights, the rulers are trying to push them to the wall. The rulers sitting in Islamabad are enjoying luxuries earned from the resources of Balochistan while the poor people of that province have been running from pillar to post in search of necessities like a sack of wheat flour. The same treatment has always been meted out to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Now when the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have woken up to the reality, they should also have to determine their destination and differentiate between their enemies and friends.  For this, the political forces of the region have not only to convey their message to each household in the region but also have to apprise the world community of the condition of the people. Media has also to play its due role and the masses should understand that those who raise the issue of the region are not the enemies of the people. The political situation around the world is changing fast; India is holding talks with the Kashmiris under the pressure of the international community. Our leaders should also jack up their efforts in order to persuade India to force Pakistan to include the representatives of Gilgit-Baltistan in the dialogue process as the third party to the issue of Kashmir.
We also see that the people of Kashmir have started a silent dialogue with India for the sake of their identity and survival. It is time the people of Gilgit-Baltistan also initiated negotiations with Pakistan at the intellectual and political levels in order to ensure the right to run the affairs of the region in accordance with their wishes. This is the only way through which permanent peace can be restored in South Asia and the scourge of terrorism defeated for good. The rulers should understand the writing on the wall and instead of living in a dream world should stop trampling the rights of the people and give them what have been overdue to them - their basic political, constitutional, economic rights.