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Unrest in Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan
-DR. ABDUL RUFF
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Even while the terrorized Kashmiris keep fighting for their sovereignty from Indian occupiers in Indian occupied Jammu Kashmir, and Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir also are deeply worried about their future, Gilgit Baltistan under Pakistan is now facing recurring violence affecting normallife. Like in Jammu Kashmir where curfew has been the order in the lives of Kashmiri Muslims, curfew imposed in Gilgit.
So, Muslims are being attacked not only by anti-Islamic NATO terrorist gangs led by USA-UK terror twins, Israeli fascists and Indian state terrorists , but even by Muslim leaders themselves. Saudi military went to Bahrain to kill Muslims there. That is the tragedy of Muslims and fate of Islam today.
Sectarian violence has also been flaring up in Baluchistan where members of the Hazara Shia community are the victims. PM Gilani is either busy taking on state institutions such as the Supreme Court, or protecting the corrupt. He has no time to spare to provide security and good governance to the country. The less said about the President the better. He is busy touring the world, the expense of which is being borne by the poor people of Pakistan. The Interior Minister Rehman Malik, keeps issuing inane statements but his record of giving the citizens peace and security in GB and rest of the country is abysmal.
The incompetent central government is responsible for the barbarity going on in Gilgit Baltistan. Unless quick and effective measures are not taken, he said, the entire area would fall into a grip of violence that would be impossible to contain. He urged immediate action and said that PM Gilani should camp in Gilgit until the situation is controlled. PTI on its part will play a role to bring peace in the area and a high level delegation of the party would soon be visiting Gilgit, he concluded.
At least 13 persons were killed and dozens of others injured in the incidents of violence in Gilgit and Chilas on April 03. Gunmen opened fire and killed six passengers in Chilas. According to official sources, the passengers were taken off buses and were then killed. Six buses were also set ablaze. Earlier at least five people were killed and around 50 injured after unidentified persons threw a hand grenade on a protest rally near Gari Bagh in Gilgit. The city was already observing a strike and later a curfew was imposed after it virtually turned into a battleground between rival sects. Firing was reported despite the imposition of a curfew. The rally was called by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) for release of one of its leader who was detained earlier.
According to sources, several people were stranded at various locations due to the curfew and constant firing. The situation is said to be highly precarious due to indiscriminate firing. the district administration and law enforcement agencies were not present to control the violent situation whereas fear gripped the entire area after the hostility.
On Oct. 17th 2005, in a letter addressed to UN, the pro-India outfit Balawaristan National Front (BNF) highlighted the brutality of the occupying regime of Pakistan. Pakistani Occupying forces (Rangers) killed 7 innocent people (including 3 women, who were killed by the Rangers in their houses in Gilgit. 2 Shopkeepers were also killed inside their shops, who even had closed their shelter to avoid the clashes. Thus 7 innocent civilians were killed by Paki forces. Rangers killed an ex chairman of Municipal Committee Gilgit. Paki newspapers’ reports suggest that Rangers fired 100000 (one Lac) rounds indiscriminately against the Shia population of Gilgit city, with the evil design to create sectarianism, according to the Pakistani newspaper "Daily DAWN" October 15, 2005.
Serious concern has also been displayed in different places of Balawaristan Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) A prominent Shia religious leader of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan). Pakistani occupying forces arrested the religious leaders of both the Shia and Sooni sects on 15th Oct, so the blames of their own crime can be put on the shoulders of the local religious leaders, with the evil intention to create sectarian gap between Shia and Soonis on one hand and evade the Al-Qaida terrorists and Paki Rangers on the other. Paki occupying forces arrested eight religious leaders and shifted them to Rawalpindi.
Despite shoot-to-kill orders issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government to restore peace, the capital city was swept by a fresh wave of violence after armed men killed one person and injured three others in broad daylight on 08 January 2012.
Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan said the situation in Gilgit and Chilas is getting from bad to worse. Commenting on horrendous story of death and destruction coming out Gilgit-Baltistan, he said that there are reports of over two hundred people being killed in the last three days in a horrific escalation of violence. the government is simply incapable of containing the violence or even providing basic security to the people in the area. All it has done is to make life further miserable. All communication with GB and mobile phones within, have been disconnected, curfew has been imposed, and ground and air transportation between GB and rest of Pakistan has been blocked. The result is that serious shortage of foodstuffs and other necessities has started to appear. All communication with GB and mobile phones within, have been disconnected, curfew has been imposed, and ground and air transportation between GB and rest of Pakistan has been blocked. The result is that serious shortage of foodstuffs and other necessities has started to appear. The situation has reached this sorry pass because the Federal Government, which is ultimately responsible for security in the country, is not only corrupt but also totally incompetent. Violence is also in other parts of the country. Karachi is again witnessing brutal killings with serious danger of the situation deteriorating rapidly.
II
Disturbance and unrest are common in Islamic world, because the Muslims do not want to live as Muslims. The NATO terror wars unleashed on Islamic nations to control energy resources and defaming Islam, have further complicated the lives for Muslims and their nations. .And Gilgit is not the only zone where Pakistan has trouble. Entire nation is in on NATO terror fire.
Gilgit within Northern Areas division lies about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) off the Karakoram Highway (KKH). The KKH connects it to Chilas, Dasu,Besham, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Islamabad in the south. In the North it is connected to Karimabad (Hunza) and Sust in the Northern Areas and to the Chinese cities of Tashkurgan, Upal and Kashgar in Xinjiang. Gilgit experiences a cold desert climate. Weather conditions for Gilgit are dominated by its geographical location, a valley in a mountainous area, southwest of Karakoram range. The prevalent season of Gilgit is winter, occupying the valley eight to nine months a year.
Gilgit was an important city on the Silk Road, along which trade and Buddhism were spread from South Asia to the rest of Asia. In 1877, in order to guard against the advance of Russia, the British Government, acting as the suzerain power of Kashmir, established theGilgit Agency. The Agency was re-established under control of the British Resident in Jammu Kashmir. It comprised the Gilgit Wazarat; the State of Hunza and Nagar; the Punial Jagir; the Governorships of Yasin, Kuh-Ghizr and Ishkoman, and Chilas. The Tajiks of Xinjiang sometimes enslaved the Gilgiti and Kunjuti Hunza. In 1935, the British demanded Jammu and Kashmir to lease them Gilgit town plus most of the Gilgit Agency and the hill-states Hunza, Nagar, Yasin and Ishkoman for 60 years. Maharaja Hari Singh had no choice but to acquiesce. The leased region was then treated as part ofBritish India, administered by a Political Agent at Gilgit responsible to Delhi, first through the Resident in Jammu and Kashmir and later a British Agent in Peshawar.
Jammu and Kashmir State no longer kept troops in Gilgit and a mercenary force, the Gilgit Scouts, was recruited with British officers and paid for by Delhi. In 1947 India wanted and decided to formally take over Gilgitalong with Jammu Kashmir, But Gilgit Scouts progressed with Pakistani troops from north through High Himalayas and contributed in attacking of Skardu in summer 1948, pushing further towards Ladakh area. After Pakistani advances of early 1948, Indian troops gathered momentum in late 1948.
Finally, India asked for UN intervention, and a ceasefire was agreed on December 31, 1948. This conflict left Pakistan with roughly two-fifths of Kashmir along with Gilgit and Baltistan, leaving three-fifths of Kashmir along with Jammu and Leh to India.
The Interior Minister Malik has said that situation in Gilgit Baltistan is under control and curfew there will soon be lifted. He said mobile services will also be restored in the area. He said a targeted operation may be conducted to arrest those involved in the Challas incident. Malik said that consultation will be held with the religious scholars to chalk out a strategy to avoid any future unrest in Gilgit -Baltistan.
One only hopes the situation In Gilgit would be normal very soon.
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