UN asked to take notice of Gilgit Baltistan land occupation

SKARDU: The occupation on the boundary land of Gilgit-Baltistan by the people and government of KPK is an open violation of the international laws.

The taking over of the land belonging to the Gilgit-Baltistan cannot be justified under any law because the whole region is disputed and its status is yet to be determined by the United Nations, said Manzoor Hussain Parwana, the chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement in a statement here.

He asked the United Nations to intervene and take notice of the attempts being made by the KP government to occupy the land in the Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan. He was of the view that the federal government would deprive the indigenous people of GB of its land by forming a so-called boundary commission, adding that the formation of the commission by Islamabad had no legal ground to decide about the land of the disputed area already on the agenda of the UN. The GBUM chief added that the Diamer dam was being built inside the territorial limits of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Bhasha village was also part of the area which had been included into territorial limits of KPK province under a conspiracy to deprive the people of GB of their right to get the full royalty of the mega dam upon its completion. Now more and more land is being occupied by the KPK government backed by Islamabad to give an impression that the whole Diamer dam was being in the territorial limits of the KPK province.

Mr Parwana  said that if the government of Pakistan was serious in completing the dam, it should name it only Diamer dam and give the royalty only to Gilgit-Baltistan otherwise the people of the area would not allow Islamabad to build the mega dam on its soil. He added that every child of Gilgit-Baltistan was behind the people of Thor-Diamer because it was not a local dispute over a piece of land rather the question of territorial boundary of the whole region.

Gilgit Baltistan :Violence aimed to prolong occupation: GBUM

Violence aimed to prolong occupation: GBUM

SKARDU: The latest waves of violence and killings in the Gilgit city looking like to be related to sectarianism are a conspiracy by the usurpers of the rights of the two million subjugate and enslaved people of Gilgit-Baltistan to divide them so that they can never be able to get united and fight for their freedom.
This was stated by Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement Chairman Manzoor Hussain Parwana said here. He added that he and his party was very shocked and saddened over the killing of innocent people in Gilgit and prayed o God to rest the departed souls in peace. He said that the government was never serious in maintaining durable peace in the Gilgit city because peace was against the interest of the rulers who want to divide the indigenous masses. Parwana of the view that whenever the indigenous people got united on a single point to safeguard their rights, the area saw dead bodies, mayhem and clashes. 
The GBUM chief said that after the failed visit to the region by Prime Misniter Nawaz Sharif and the statements of ANP Senator Zahid Khan and Senator Farhatullah Babar of the PPP that Gilgit-Baltitan cannot be made the fifth province of Pakistan, there was a wave among the people of the region to raise voice for their rights unitedly. Besides, even some members of the assembly in unison with the stance of nationalist parties had stated that the permission to lay the railway track from China to Pakistan though Gilgit-Baltistan should be conditioned with the rights of the indigenous people. But the usurpers of the rights of the people got panicked over the rising trend of unity in Giglit-Baltistan and lost no time to sabotage the unity of the masses by igniting the fire among them and pitching them against each other to achieve their own nefarious designs, he added.
Mr Parwana demanded that the government of Mehdi Shah should be sent packing in order to restore peace in the region. He added that elimination of corruption was also necessary for restoration of peace in the area. On the one hand the chief minister has been backing corruption and on the other talking of maintaining peace in the region, he added. The GBUM chief said that the level of terrorism seen in the tenure of Mehdi Shah was unprecedented.

Gilgit Baltistan : Corruption in Civil Supply sought investigation

Gilgit Baltistan: Leader demands to link India via Skardu-Kargil ancient tarde route

SKARDU: Chairman Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) Engineer Manzoor Hussain Prawana has said that putting restriction on the free movement of the people and closing old trade routes was a rampant violation of the human rights. He said by the virtue of its geographical location, Gilgit-Baltistan can have trade access to five countries via over 15 land routes. However, though a conspiracy, these trade routes have been closed, compelling the indigenous people to remain stranded in their areas and depending only on the Karakarum Highway that too remained closed for most of the year due to terrorits attacks and security concerns.

 Mr Parwana said that this was equal to shutting the door of trade and employment on the two million people of the Addressing a rally held to demand the opening of the trade routes, he said that due to the closure of the Skardu-Kargil route, hundreds of divided families in Baltistan and Ladakh were facing agonies of their lives. He said these divided families had been looking for meeting their near and dear ones on the other side of the border for years but still there was no hope that the border would be opened.

He said besides the human tragedy the road closure had also shut the door of trade opportunities on the people of the region causing a perpetual poverty and economic meltdown among the residents. He asked both the governments of Pakistan and India to immediately open the routes between Skardu and Kargil and Astor and Srinagar.

The GBUM chief was of the view that the people of Punjab and Sindh were freely doing trade and crossing border with India, the people of KPK were free to do business with Afghanistan while the Baloch were also availing of the open border into Afghanistan and Iran. And even the people in AJK were allowed to do business across the border. On the other hand, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan were still not being allowed to cross the border and meet their relatives. Besides, all the old trade routes still remain closed. If doing trade with India is against the interest of Pakistan, it should close the border in Punjab and Sindh too. He said this double standard discrimination against the people of Gilgit-Baltistan was unjustified and would not be tolerated.

Issued

Manzoor Parwana

Chairman

Gilgit Baltistan United Movement

Skardu baltistan : 16/ 12/2013

www.skardu.blogspot.com

Gilgit Baltistan: Protesters block Skardu Gilgit Road for Wheat.

RONDU: A large number of people here blocked the main road for over three hours in protest against black marketing and additional charges on what being supplied to the area on subsidized rate.
Addressing the participants of the protest, Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) Chairman Manzoor Hussain Parwana said that the announcing additional charges on the basic commodity was equal to suicide attack on the poor people of the area. By putting further economic burden on the people, the government has showed its anti-people agenda. He said that the government which never tired of chanting the slogan of roti, kapra and makan had forced the masses on starvation. He was of the view that not supplying wheat flour to the consumers for the last three months to hoard the commodity in the godowns in order to sell it on the new increased rate was highly condemnable. He said after the increase in the price, the wheat bag’s had increased to 1300 rupees while the civil supply department was charging the masses 2050 rupees . Will there be more lawlessness than this, he added. The GBUM chief said that if the sellers did not stop charging the additional amount from the people, the court of law would be approached.  Later, the participants held a rally under the leadership of Manzoor Parwan who later staged a sit-in outside the office of assistant commissioner Rondu. The assistant commissioner on the occasion directed that wheat should be given to the consumers after weighing it from the godowns.  
 

GBUM : Protest rally for rights in Baltistan

Protest rally for rights in Baltistan

Protest Rally in Roundu, Skardu

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Skardu— Thousands of people staged a protest rally in Roundu village of Baltistan, demanding political, economic and constitutional rights. More than that, protesters demanded international road links with Tajikistan and Ladakh. The call for protest was given by GilgitBaltistan United Movement and Open the Frontiers Movement.

“We want an end to Human Rights violations in Gilgit Baltistan. We want freedom of speech, freedom of movement and an opportunity to freely trade with neighboring countries,” GBUM chairman, Manzoor Parvana told to the gathering.

“If Punjabis of Punjab can trade with India through Wahaga, If Balochis of Baluchistan can trade with Iran, If Pashtuns of KPK can trade with Pashtuns of Afghanistan; why Baltis of Skardu cannot trade with Baltis of Ladakh? Why people of Gilgit Baltistan cannot trade with Tajikistan?” Pervana raised questions.

Syed Haider Shah Rizvi, Chief Organizer of Open the Frontiers Movement, demanded the federal government to open Skardu- Kargil road immediately so that the people of Gilgit Baltistan can look for alternative means of subsistence.

“If the federal government does not open the Skardu Kargil road, we will not shy away from marching towards Ladakh [not part of Pakistan],” Rizvi said.

Rizvi also highlighted political and constitutional deprivations that the people of the region face. He warned the government of initiating revolutionary rights moment from Roundu, if the government continues suppressing the rights of the people.

Speakers from MQM, PMLN, PTI and other parties also addressed the gathering. Speakers criticized Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Gilgit Baltistan terming it an unproductive tour with traditional rhetoric of changing the fate of the region.

It is pertinent to note that the people of Gilgit Baltistan have suffered greatly in recent years as terrorists, along Karakoram Highway, have repeatedly targeted travelers. On top of political and constitutional deprivations, the region has been left at the mercy of neighboring KPK province whose No-Objection Certificate (NOC), according to government officials in Gilgit,  is required to open or not to open the KKH for travelers. The Karakoram Highway is the only convenient access to Pakistan for the people of Gilgit Baltistan. 

Mehboob Khan has contributed to this story from Skardu, Baltistan

Gilgit Baltistan United Movement observed HR day for the rights of the people.

Gilgit Baltistan: Thousands of people gathered at Rondu Valley at the occasion of International Human Rights Day 10 Dec 2013 for the Rights of enslaved nation of Gilgit Baltistan. The gathering was called by Gilgit Baltistan United Movement and Open the Frontiers Movement ....

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Gilgit Baltistan: Closure of Trade routes is Human Rights violation