While talking to the media on April 27, Chairperson of Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement, Engineer Manzoor Hussain Parwana, drew attention to the fact that Pakistan controlled Gilgit-Baltistan is moving towards financial bankruptcy and authorities lack funds to pay salaries to the employees of energy, water, sanitation, civil supply, road and buildings, education and health departments. He said that the situation contradicts Pakistan's claims regarding effectiveness of the empowerment and self-governance ordinance of 2009. It is true that the ordinance may have created few hundred positions and designations of cabinet members and high ranking Pakistani bureaucrats. But these bureaucrats have largely worked to safeguard interests of Islamabad rather than serve poverty-stricken natives.
Parwana said that the civilian developmental budget has been redirected to the office of Chief Minister to pay for allowances and protocol expenditures of the entourage of ministers. He quoted the auditor general of Gilgit-Baltistan, that if non-developmental expenditure is not reduced, then the entire province-like set up will cease to function in the next few months.
Parwana said that the governmental departments like Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD), which currently have no funds to undertake projects, are forced to falsely claim credit for the development projects initiated and completed by Aga Khan Developmental Network (AKDN). It is precisely because developmental budget of LG&RD is being spent on election rallies and buying loyalties of the politicians. He stressed that the government should stop relying on non-profit organizations to run the affairs of the region and fulfill their designated responsibilities. He lamented the fact that after completion of two years by the current regime, no annual development plan (ADP) has been presented, which hinders socio-economic growth. Today, targeted killings continue unabated and thousands of employees are protesting on the road demanding salaries, which shows that Pakistan has lost its writ in the region. A situation similar to Syria, Lybia and Yemen exists in Gilgit-Baltistan and international community needs to pay immediate attention.
In the context, thousands of affected people of Ataabad Lake disaster await funds for rehabilitation and compensation for the land and revenue losses. These people are victim of embezzlement, nepotism and in-efficiencies within government departments. He emphasized that eliminating Islamabad’s interference in Gilgit-Baltistan will help address these issues.
Manzoor Hussain Parwana
Chairman
Gilgit Baltistan United ovement
Skardu : 28 April 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Gilgit Baltistan : GB to stage a bloody uprising.
Gilgit Baltistan : GB to stage a bloody uprising.
Skardu,
March 26, 2011
Corruption, joblessness and lack of funds are forcing the natives of GB to stage a bloody uprising. Government's policy to continue Islamabad's colonial system is causing irreparable damage to the people of GB. These views were expressed Manzoor Hussain Parwana Chief of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement addressing a press conference at Skardu.
Parwana said Pakistan's autonomy package has failed to produce results as terrorism, targeted killing and corruption have made GB a hostage. The ad-hoc presidential ordinance is not the solution, as people want genuine autonomy. A Tunisian style uprising is in the offing as the regime has failed to pay attention to the genuine needs of the people. Although currently, poverty, ban on political activity, lack of freedom of expression, and fear is holding the people back but educated youth are more aware and ready to regain control over their land. They know that they are dealing with one of the most ruthless regimes and militaries in the world, which is not shy of killing their own people for paltry amounts of compensation and ransom.
"This regime does not work for their own citizens but rather work for money. What autonomy can we expect from such a regime. Main reason of target killing is denial of basic human rights. In the name of autonomy, thousands of security forces have arrived in the region, which oppress the natives with impunity. Instead of confronting the terrorists, they torture and harass nationalist political workers. The only solution acceptable to these issues is respect to the wishes of locals and withdrawal of Pakistani colonial masters from the region." Parwana added
Issued By
GBUM
Central Secretariat Skardu
Skardu,
March 26, 2011
Corruption, joblessness and lack of funds are forcing the natives of GB to stage a bloody uprising. Government's policy to continue Islamabad's colonial system is causing irreparable damage to the people of GB. These views were expressed Manzoor Hussain Parwana Chief of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement addressing a press conference at Skardu.
Parwana said Pakistan's autonomy package has failed to produce results as terrorism, targeted killing and corruption have made GB a hostage. The ad-hoc presidential ordinance is not the solution, as people want genuine autonomy. A Tunisian style uprising is in the offing as the regime has failed to pay attention to the genuine needs of the people. Although currently, poverty, ban on political activity, lack of freedom of expression, and fear is holding the people back but educated youth are more aware and ready to regain control over their land. They know that they are dealing with one of the most ruthless regimes and militaries in the world, which is not shy of killing their own people for paltry amounts of compensation and ransom.
"This regime does not work for their own citizens but rather work for money. What autonomy can we expect from such a regime. Main reason of target killing is denial of basic human rights. In the name of autonomy, thousands of security forces have arrived in the region, which oppress the natives with impunity. Instead of confronting the terrorists, they torture and harass nationalist political workers. The only solution acceptable to these issues is respect to the wishes of locals and withdrawal of Pakistani colonial masters from the region." Parwana added
Issued By
GBUM
Central Secretariat Skardu
Gilgit Baltistan : GB to stage a bloody uprising.
Gilgit Baltistan : GB to stage a bloody uprising.
Skardu,
March 26, 2011
Corruption, joblessness and lack of funds are forcing the natives of GB to stage a bloody uprising. Government's policy to continue Islamabad's colonial system is causing irreparable damage to the people of GB. These views were expressed Manzoor Hussain Parwana Chief of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement addressing a press conference at Skardu.
Parwana said Pakistan's autonomy package has failed to produce results as terrorism, targeted killing and corruption have made GB a hostage. The ad-hoc presidential ordinance is not the solution, as people want genuine autonomy. A Tunisian style uprising is in the offing as the regime has failed to pay attention to the genuine needs of the people. Although currently, poverty, ban on political activity, lack of freedom of expression, and fear is holding the people back but educated youth are more aware and ready to regain control over their land. They know that they are dealing with one of the most ruthless regimes and militaries in the world, which is not shy of killing their own people for paltry amounts of compensation and ransom.
"This regime does not work for their own citizens but rather work for money. What autonomy can we expect from such a regime. Main reason of target killing is denial of basic human rights. In the name of autonomy, thousands of security forces have arrived in the region, which oppress the natives with impunity. Instead of confronting the terrorists, they torture and harass nationalist political workers. The only solution acceptable to these issues is respect to the wishes of locals and withdrawal of Pakistani colonial masters from the region." Parwana added
Issued By
GBUM
Central Secretariat Skardu
Skardu,
March 26, 2011
Corruption, joblessness and lack of funds are forcing the natives of GB to stage a bloody uprising. Government's policy to continue Islamabad's colonial system is causing irreparable damage to the people of GB. These views were expressed Manzoor Hussain Parwana Chief of Gilgit Baltistan United Movement addressing a press conference at Skardu.
Parwana said Pakistan's autonomy package has failed to produce results as terrorism, targeted killing and corruption have made GB a hostage. The ad-hoc presidential ordinance is not the solution, as people want genuine autonomy. A Tunisian style uprising is in the offing as the regime has failed to pay attention to the genuine needs of the people. Although currently, poverty, ban on political activity, lack of freedom of expression, and fear is holding the people back but educated youth are more aware and ready to regain control over their land. They know that they are dealing with one of the most ruthless regimes and militaries in the world, which is not shy of killing their own people for paltry amounts of compensation and ransom.
"This regime does not work for their own citizens but rather work for money. What autonomy can we expect from such a regime. Main reason of target killing is denial of basic human rights. In the name of autonomy, thousands of security forces have arrived in the region, which oppress the natives with impunity. Instead of confronting the terrorists, they torture and harass nationalist political workers. The only solution acceptable to these issues is respect to the wishes of locals and withdrawal of Pakistani colonial masters from the region." Parwana added
Issued By
GBUM
Central Secretariat Skardu
Friday, March 25, 2011
Gilgit Baltistan : Harassment of Nationalist leader intensifies
March 24, 2011
The ad-hoc self-governance and empowerment presidential ordinance, which was promulgated by President Zardari in June 2009 to solve political issues of Gilgit-Baltistan, has failed to garner any support among the natives of the region. The situation is favoring nationalists and separatists as thousands of youth have joined the ranks and demand genuine political autonomy and withdrawal of Pakistani security forces from the region. Nationalists assert that Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the disputed princely state of Jammu & Kashmir and therefore, Pakistan must withdraw from the region to honor the United Nations resolutions of 1948 and 1949. Further, they claim that natives of Gilgit-Baltistan have the same birth right to self-determination, which Pakistan currently prescribes for the people of Kashmir Valley.
Ironically, while Pakistan promotes the cause of the Kashmiri people and supports their right of freedom; it restricts political activity for the nationalists in Gilgit-Baltistan and encourages its security forces to brutally suppress similar aspirations. Human rights violations and attack on human right defenders have increased since the promulgation of Zardari ordinance in 2009. There is a complete ban on political activity and public gathering of the nationalists and many activists and leaders remain expelled from the region. It has become a routine for the agents of secret service agency of Pakistan, Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI to barge into the houses of political activists to threaten their family members. The situation needs immediate international attention as human right defenders are not safe in their own homes while the region remains in de-facto control of ISI personnel.
On March 10, 2011, a green pick-up truck belonging to the 411 command office of ISI in Skardu, carrying two agents arrived in Haji Bazaar of Thowar, Baltistan. The two personnel along with the driver Sipahi Muhammad Hussain, who originally belongs to Kharmang, Baltistan, then barged into the house of the Chairperson of Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement, Engineer Manzoor Parwana. They pretended to be his friends and inquired about his whereabouts and social activities. After failing to receive any information, they left the house threatening the family members of the consequences.
Manzoor Parwana, while talking to the crime reporter of the Weekly Baang condemned the cowardly act of Pakistani agencies. He said, “Pakistan is worried since nationalists are becoming popular in the region. I have personally received death threats but I continue my struggle for the independence for my nation”. He demanded that Field Command Office of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Brigade office in Skardu should take immediate notice of such unwarranted interferences by security agencies in the local socio-political matters and order investigation against the afore-mentioned personnel.
Reference: www.weeklybaang.blogspot.com
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
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