Gilgit -Baltistan [Pakistan], March 24 : Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan has been fooled for the past 75 years as the political parties just play with the sentiments of people and fighting their federation's war, instead of giving attention to their actual problems, Pakist vernacular media, Himalaya Today Edit reported.
Gilgit-Baltistan gets grants-in-aid like alms. Currently, the Developmental and Non-Developmental Grant in Aid is Rs.18.48 billion, which is less than the budget allotted to some districts of the federation. The vernacular media wrote further that despite this, Gilgit -Baltistan are cursed and threatened about stopping the funds.
The main reason for this situation is the political leadership whether it is ruling or in the opposition. Both act as facilitators of the federation, and Islamabad used them as tissue paper, the report read further.
Gilgit-Baltistan has always been treated like orphans. In the current situation, instead of fighting the federation's war in Gilgit-Baltistan, the need is to stand united for the rights and interests of Gilgit-Baltistan with the slogan 'Sab Se Pehle Gilgit-Baltistan' as there is no other option than this.
Gilgit-Baltistan is ruled by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Himalaya Today Edit urged PTI and the opposition parties should stop fooling and playing with the sentiments of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Today, the condition of Gilgit-Baltistan is very bad and its economy is on the verge of collapsing, the report said, adding that it cannot afford to fight the war of federation here.
However, if the federation wants to fight its war in Gilgit-Baltistan, it should first give a written guarantee of safeguarding and protecting the rights and interests of the province. Hence, 'Sab Se Pehle Gilgit-Baltistan's' slogan is the best and most effective idea to repair and recover our damages, according to vernacular media.
Not only economically, but Gilgit-Baltistan is also witnessing a rise in human rights abuses.
While giving an intervention during the 52nd Session of the Council, Nasir Aziz Khan, the central spokesperson for the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), said, "Our orgzation would like to draw your attention to the serious human rights abuses that are taking place in Pakistan and its administered Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Human rights violations have been reported in Pakistan for many years, with a range of issues including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, discrimination against minorities, and limitations on freedom of expression and assembly."
UKPNP Chairman, Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, in his intervention, informed the UN Human Rights Council that Article (19)-1 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights guarantees everyone the right to hold opinions without interference. "The people of Pakist-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, however, have not had this freedom since 1947. Pakistan is systematically violating the land rights of the people of Pakistan in its peripheries," he said.
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