PoGB leaders organize conference to oppose forest land leases to Punjab business owners

Gilgit City [PoJK], May 24 : Leaders from the Awami Action Committee (AAC) belonging to Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) on Thursday organized a conference at the Gilgit Press Club, criticizing the local government for leasing forest lands of PoGB to private business owners of Punjab Province, local news outlet from PoGB stated.

During the press conference, former President of the Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association, Advocate Ehsan Ali, said, "This is a big scam towards the people of PoGB, as the crippled local administration of here has surrendered in front of private business owners. The entire decision was taken by a two-member committee, consisting of the PoGB Chief Secretary and a representative of the business organization both of which don't belong to the people and the land. It was also ensured that the results of the meeting were kept a secret. This proves, the widespread corruption and anti-people policies made by the local administration."

In his statement quoted by the PoGB local news outlet Ali further stated, "The people of the government of Pakistan and PoGB don't feel themselves answerable to the people. They have never addressed the public directly, on any issue of the people of the PoGB. We had recently launched a major protest but in PoGB none of the government representatives stood with us. They entirely operated from Pakistan but never stood with us to raise our demands. But the people are now aware and they will raise their own demands now. As we are not begging for your mercy or greatness, but we are demanding what belongs to us."

Another advocate during the press conference highlighted, that the leasing contract that happened between the government of PoGB and Punjab Province, will never take care of the employees that they hire from here no matter the circumstances.

According to his statement, "These contracts would have been beneficial for the people if they were done on an open tender basis. The company to which the lands of PoGB have been leased was registered merely six months ago and has no experience in managing the local tourism of PoGB. And the administration has ignored the local people who have been managing local tourism for years here."

Another local leader of PoGB Baba Jan in his statement given during the press conference stated that the people of PoGB are not ready to back down or surrender. And now will take the position of the decisionmaker.

The Pakistan government must now address its repeated mistakes, and address the issues of the people of PoGB. The government has not taken care of the people of PoGB, they are not giving them the right education, employment, proper roads, internet and infrastructural essentialities, the local PoGB news channel report mentioned.

Previously, a local opposition leader from PoGB had raised the same issue in constituent assembly.

In his statement the leader mentioned "Today when anyone who holds power here announces that PoGB is suffering major economic losses, they will lease our lands to industrialists or non-native entities so that profit can be generated for 30 years. This would not be tolerated at all."

"It is not a matter of 30 years, it is a matter of almost three generations and more. Tell us if PoGB is for sale, and we will return to our homes. Today, the condition has gotten worse and our jungles are not safe anymore," he added.

He also elaborated that, "in the dense forests of Skardu, we have heard that about 400 kennels of land is being sold to a businessmen of Punjab province. Our people in PoGB did not foster and protect that land for a wealthy businessman from Punjab province who would come and establish his business on that land. Please spare that land. Another piece of the forest, Whaid Park is being given to business owners, making promises that 50 per cent of the profit will be given to the government. Do you now think that any money made from these profits will reach the general people?"

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