Gilgit Baltistan: Pakistan has no right to legislate on the region

SKARDU: 23 June 23, 2009

The right of legislation in Gilgit-Baltistan rests with the people of the region. The government of Pakistan's all steps and proposals to make laws and bring constitutional packages etc for the region are unlawful and hold no ground at all, as the region does not fall under Pakistan's constitution of 1973.This was stated by Chairman Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement Manzoor Hussain Parwana while speaking at a consultative workshop titled “Gilgit-Baltistan's constitutional status and the government's constitutional package” organized by the Human Rights Advocacy Network and Sangi Development Foundation .

He said Gilgit-Baltistan is not constitutional part of Pakistan and the people of the region did not acceded to Pakistan, that is the reason the region have remained without a constitution for the last over 62 years. He said Pakistan had taken over the administrative affairs of the region under the dubious “Karachi Pact” and was supposed to hand over the local administration to the area people after withdrawing its military and civilian personnel in accordance with the resolution of the United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan. However, Pakistan failed to meet its obligations. The other obligation of Pakistan was to protect the life and property of the people of the region and this too it ahs failed so far, he claimed.

Mr Parwana said the assembly of any country formulates laws to run the affairs of the state in accordance with the wishes of the people. However, Gilgit-Baltistan is the only area which neither has representation in the National Assembly of Pakistan, Senate nor has its own assembly to formulate the laws.
The government has established a committee of secret agencies to formulate constitutional package to Gilgit Baltistan .It is enough to understand that Gilgit Baltistan is a colonized state of intelligence agencies.

He said if the government really wants to bring a package for the region it should first hold consultation with the people of the region including political leaders, nationalist parties, intellectuals, students, lawyers and others otherwise the package would be rejected.

The GBUM chief said the struggle of the nationalist parties in the region not based on any frustration, prejudice, hatred but was based on a geographical and ideological foundation. He said any political or other forces who try to sabotage the struggle of the nationalists were the enemies of the culture, traditions and history of the people of the region. Rather they are in denial of the principles and sayings of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he added. He said that the creation of Pakistan was not aimed at depriving other nations of their rights nor Islam allowed anyone to plunder the rights of others. Therefore, the government of Pakistan should ensure all basic rights to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in accordance with the teachings of Islam and principles of democracy.

Issued by

Manzoor Hussain Parwana
Chairman Gilgit Baltistan United Movement
Skardu Baltistan
www.skardu.blogspot.com