Shigar [ PoGB], April 28 : The residents of Shigar District in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have opposed the proposed legislation regarding the exploitation of mineral resources, as well as Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's plans to use the region's natural resources to settle the country's debt.
As per Pamir Times reports, a protest rally was held under the "Protection of Mountains, Pastures, Minerals, and Lands" movement, beginning from Hussaini Chowk in Shigar.
The rally had the participation of different religious leaders and political activists. Throughout the protest, various speakers including Allama Agha Ali Rizvi (MWM Gilgit-Baltistan), Syed Abbas Mousavi, Syed Taha Shamsuddin, ex-member of the assembly Imran Nadeem, Sheikh Hassan Johari, and Sheikh Mushtaq Hakimi strongly condemned the act, referring to it as a violation of the rights of the people. According to them, the bad decisions of the government had led to the situation that the masses had to protest.
Pamir Times quoted the leaders as saying that the mountains, pastures, and rivers belong to the locals and cautioned that these resources cannot be leased or transferred without the consent of the people. They also noted that PoGB's controversial constitutional status should deter them from unilaterally exploiting its natural resources.
The speakers clarified that even though the protest was peaceful, any move to ignore the people's demand would escalate the movement. They denounced the government's policies and made it clear that any use of force would encounter stiff resistance at all levels. The leaders of the protest also declared that the local populace are ready to shut down all surveying and mineral extraction operations until the controversial bill is withdrawn. They criticized elected members of parliament, saying they represented themselves as agents of the government and not agents of the people.
Essentially, Pakistan's extraction of PoGB's minerals is regarded as an extension of the trend where natural resources of the area are being extracted without corresponding local benefit or regard for the residents of the area. The concerns of the native population revolve around insufficient consultation and equitable sharing of profits, and environment destruction that arises out of untrammeled exploitation.
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