Government policies alienating youth of Gilgit Baltistan

Chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) Manzoor Hussain Parwana has said the arrest of Ghulam Shahzad Agha showed the frustration of the Skardu administration over the popular struggle of nationalist forces in the region. He said the double standard of the local administration was causing a wide gulf between the new generation of Gilgit-Baltistan and the rulers of Pakistan.In a press statement issued here, Mr Parwana said the workers of federalist political parties including the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were freely moving in the region with their vehicles hoisted with party flags while the nationalist leaders and activists were rounded up on concocted charges. He pointed out that Gilgit-Baltistan was not part of Pakistan and the free movement and activities of workers and activists of Pakistani political parties in the region was illegal and unconstitutional.He invited all federalist political parties to come forward and launch a joint struggle for achievement of basic rights for the people of the region instead of wasting their energies and resources on unimportant and unachievable objectives. He said due to poor policies on Gilgit-Baltistan, the government of Pakistan was facing troubles at the national and international levels. He said Islamabad was also facing world pressure due to human rights violations in Giolgit-Baltistan.He said that looking at the plundering of resources of the region at the hands of Pkistani rulers it seemed that the rulers had realized the writing on the wall and were trying to put their hands on whatever resources available to them. Otherwise there was no justification for opening the doors of leases for multinational companies by violating national and norms and rules and regulations, he added.He said nationalist forces in the region were getting unprecedented public support. He asked the people to stand up against plundering of their resources and protect them for the coming generations. Mr Parwana further said nationalist forces of the region were getting public support from all parts of the region and people were backing the agenda of GBDA and all nationalist parties have agreed on a one-point agenda of an independent state assembly for Gilgit-Baltistan.