Human rights defenders were tortured during jail custody in Gilgit-Baltistan

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

 Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-070-2012

10 May 2012

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PAKISTAN: Human rights defenders were tortured during jail custody in Gilgit-Baltistan
ISSUES: Torture and ill treatment, religious harmony, displacement, impunity and un-rule of law
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Dear friends,
 
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the human rights defenders, Mr. Baba Jan Hunzai along with four companions was brutally tortured by the police and military intelligence, ISI, officials while in custody of the jail. The victims were not given access to any medical treatment facilities despite being severely tortured. The government has not taken any initiative to investigate the brutal torture of the prisoners detained in jail. It is alleged that a superintendent of police, a deputy superintendent of police, a station house officer (SHO) and the deputy superintendent of Gilgit district jail were directly helping and instigating the torture with the military intelligence people. The torture victims are kept in a sub section of the jail which is at the top of a mountain where the temperature remains almost at freezing point.
 
CASE NARRATIVE:

Prominent human rights defenders, Mr. Baba Jan, a socio -political activist, chief of the Progressive Youth Movement, Mr. Ifthikar Hussain, and Mr. Ameer Khan along with two more activists of the Pakistan Labour Party, were brutally tortured by the police and military intelligence, the ISI, while in custody. Baba Jan and his colleagues were arrested during the agitation against the killings of a father and his son by the police officials, including the direct shooting by a high official, the deputy superintendent of Police, Mr. Babar during a protest on August 11, 2011 on the issue of settlement of the victims of the Attabad lake when the chief minister of Gilgit and Baltistan was visiting the place, please see the urgent appeal on the incident. (AHRC-UAC-149-2011 )

Recently the jail authorities had taken the initiative to shift Baba Jan and his four comrades to Giglit sub jail which is located at the top of a moutain where the temperature is almost constantly below freezing. The reason behind shifting Baba Jan and his comrades was that some of the other accused persons in the jail who were involved in the sectarian killings of Shiites and others were lodged in the Gilgit district jail and they were intentionally mixed with the normal prisoners. They were spreading sectarian hatred within the jail with the patronage of the jail authorities. Baba Jan and his comrades were resisting the sectarian division within the prison and on many occasions succeeded in preventing the killings of persons from other sects. This put out of favour with the jail authorities and local administration of Gilgit. Also the government was not happy with the actions of the activists of the Labour Party and its youth organization for agitating against the increasing interests of the USA in the area which is on the border with the Peoples Republic of China.

Before shifting the victims to the sub jail Baba Jan was taken out two times from the jail by the police and military officials including men from state intelligence agency. He was interrogated by the different intelligence officials who tortured him. He was pressurized to halt his and his group's activities in the Gilgit district. On April 28, 2012, in the early morning, when military men and police came to shift him his friends tries to resist the move as they feared that they will be abducted and killed in fake encounter. The police and military men tortured and beat them severely before throwing them into police vans who took them to the sub jail. During the ill-treatment Baba Jan's hand and several of his toes were fractured. To humiliate him his head was shaved. He hung upside down and beaten. His comrades, Iftikhar Hussain and Ameer Khan were also badly tortured in a similar manner. To-date they have not been provided with any medical treatment.

According to a recent report in the Daily Dawn: "....in early April of this year the Gilgit-Baltistan government shifted the prisoners yet again from the sub-jail Gilgit to the central jail of the city. 57 prisoners, who were being kept in the sub-jail, had been taken to the central jail. These prisoners belonging to a particular sect were brought to the sub-jail a couple of years back after a clash in the central jail over some religious issue. The building of the sub-jail was hired from the education department. Meanwhile, the government has urged media not to publish and give coverage to banned outfits particularly the sectarian militant groups. Recently a joint force comprising 400 personnel taken from police, Punjab Rangers, GB Scouts and Pak Army will maintain law and order. New force would be commanded by an army major and will have two headquarters, one in the home department and the second at the main office of the GB Scouts."
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

A massive landslide occurred on July 4, 2010 near the Attabad village in Hunza Valley, causing a heavy loss of life and property. The landslide blocked the River Hunza, which resulted in the formation of a lake, besides inundating about a two-kilometre long stretch of road.The Attabad Lake and the damaged road network of KKH have proven to be a major obstacle for trade between Pakistan and China. The completion of the two projects is a key to utilising the existing trade and energy potential of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Baba Jan was well known for his campaign of "Attabad Lake" which came into existence earlier in year 2010 when a mountain came down into the Hunza River and that has bring existence of the Lake. Due to the change village after village was submerged. In total, over 1000 were displaced and over 25,000 were cut off from the rest of the country.

Pro government people with the direct help of military had deprived the victims "Attabad lake" from the compensation and for their right demand for compensation people were protesting .But police opened fire on protesters when they were protesting against the government for not doing justice in the disbursement of compensation due. After the killing of the young son the father pleaded with the police not to use live ammunition against the protestor however, the police shot him dead without warning.
Gilgit-Baltistan people are well known for their active participation against the improper involvement of the American corporate and State intervention on the economic sector in the region which is against the pro people initiative china in the region. It is believed that this is the shadow reason behind the sectarian violence in that area. In one incident Shiite persons who were going on pilgrimages were shot dead by killers in military uniform. Any kind of social and political activities in the area are seen by the military as anti state activism.
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Prominent American linguist, philosopher, historian and activist Noam Chomsky and British Pakistani military historian and political campaigner Tariq Ali wrote open letters demanding the release of Baba Jan Hunzai. Jail authorities have denied access to the counsel for the activists Advocate Ehasn Ali. This is a clear violation of the rights described in "Pakistan prison rules". The torture issue on Baba Jan and others in this incident provides a bleak picture of the breakdown of the rule of law system in Pakistan. It also reflects that torture is now endemic around the country and it is possible for military intelligence personnel to commit torture with full impunity.
Rules 776 to 809 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978, deal with the issue of medical treatment. Under Rule 787, "...in each prison a hospital for the treatment of sick prisoners is required to be established. In case of illness, the prisoners should be admitted in hospital for proper treatment. Rules also provide for proper medical care and special diet to the patients during their illness."

In absence of the criminalization of torture, the law enforcement agencies are able to use torture with impunity. The Pakistan government should instigate immediate reforms in Pakistan’s prison system. Baba Jan's highlights the corruption and dysfunctional nature of the prison system which is linked to the breakdown of the rule of law in Pakistan. For years, thumbing their noses at the criminal justice system, the military has detained hundreds of people on suspicion of terrorism which includes a large number of political dissidents and others opposed to the policies of the military, particularly in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). They have applied inhuman methods including torture, collective justice and extrajudicial killings. Now the military has crossed the line by entering the jails to torture political activists.
 
SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write the letters to the authorities, mentioned below, to conduct an independent inquiry in to the torture of the victims during jail custody and ill treatment. Please urge them to prosecute the law enforcement agencies for conducting illegal actions and torture. Laso urge them to release all the victim, provide medical treatment and compensation for their ordeal.

The AHRC writes a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishmenthis intervention into this matter.
 
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Human rights defenders were tortured during jail custody in Gilgit-Baltistan
 
Name of victims:
 
Mr. Baba Jan Hunzai, detained at Sub-jail, Gilgit, Gilgil Baltistan,
Mr. Iftikhar Hussain, detained at Sub-jail, Gilgit, Gilgil Baltistan,
Mr. Ameer Khan, detained at Sub-jail, Gilgit, Gilgil Baltistan,
 
Names of alleged perpetrators:
 
Superintendent of Gilgit District jail, Gilgit Baltistan,
Deputy Superintendent of Gilgit district jail, Gilgit Baltistan,
State intelligence agencies stationed at Gilgit Baltistan
Mr. Baber, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Aliabad, Hunza Police, Gilgit-Baltistan
 
Date of incident: April 28, 2012
 
Place of incident : Gilgit district jail

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the custodial torture of four human rights defenders in the Gilgit district jail, Gilgit Baltistan, in the Northern area of Pakistan. To-date they have not been provided medical treatment by the Gilgit authorities and Jail officials.

I am informed that prominent human rights defenders, Mr. Baba Jan, a socio -political activist, chief of Progressive Youth Movement, Mr. Ifthikar Hussain, and Mr. Ameer Khan along with two more activists of Pakistan Labour Party were brutally tortured by the police and military intelligence, the ISI, during jail custody. Baba Jan and his colleagues were arrested during the agitation against the killings of a father and his son by the police officials, including the direct shooting by a high official, the deputy superintendent of Police, Mr. Babar during a protest on August 11, 2011 on the issue of settlement of the victims of the Attabad lake when the chief minister of Gilgit and Baltistan was visiting the place, please see the urgent appeal on the incident. (AHRC-UAC-149-2011)

I am further informed that recently the jail authorities had taken the initiative to shift Baba Jan and his four comrades to Giglit sub jail which is located at the top of a moutain where the temperature is almost constantly below freezing. The reason behind shifting Baba Jan and his comrades was that some of the other accused persons in the jail who were involved in the sectarian killings of Shiites and others were lodged in the Gilgit district jail and they were intentionally mixed with the normal prisoners. They were spreading sectarian hatred within the jail with the patronage of the jail authorities. Baba Jan and his comrades were resisting the sectarian division within the prison and on many occasions succeeded in preventing the killings of persons from other sects. This put out of favour with the jail authorities and local administration of Gilgit. Also the government was not happy with the actions of the activists of the Labour Party and its youth organization for agitating against the increasing interests of the USA in the area which is on the border with the Peoples Republic of China.

Before shifting the victims to the sub jail Baba Jan was taken out two times from the jail by the police and military officials including men from state intelligence agency. He was interrogated by the different intelligence officials who tortured him. He was pressurized to halt his and his group's activities in the Gilgit district.

I am appalled to learn that on April 28, 2012, in the early morning, when military men and police came to shift him his friends tries to resist the move as they feared that they will be abducted and killed in fake encounter. The police and military men tortured and beat them severely before throwing them into police vans who took them to the sub jail. During the ill-treatment Baba Jan's hand and several of his toes were fractured. To humiliate him his head was shaved. He hung upside down and beaten. His comrades, Iftikhar Hussain and Ameer Khan were also badly tortured in a similar manner. To-date they have not been provided with any medical treatment.
Pakistan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) and must enact an Anti torture law immediately.

The Pakistani military should immediately stop practices that violate international conventions and basic international legal standards, including illegal detention, collective justice, torture, and extrajudicial killings; and scrutinise the military’s actions when reporting on Pakistan’s compliance with the ICCPR, UNCAT and other treaties.

I therefore urge you to initiate impartial inquiries into the serious allegations of torture by the military with the tacit approval of the prison authorities and the local administration. Please also ensure that medical treatment is provided to the victims who should be given suitable compensation for the torture and violations they have endured.

I hope you will take immediate action in this matter.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801/9214171
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk

2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9221596
E-mail: pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk or nsethi@pmsectt.gov.pk

3. Mr. Rehman Malik
Minister for Interior
R Block Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
E-mail: ministry.interior@gmail.com or interior.complaintcell@gmail.com

4. Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +9251-9204108
Email: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com

5. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk

6. Mr. Syed Mehdi Shah
Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan
Prime Minister secretariat, Gilgit
Telephone +92-5811-920573
Fax: +92 (05811) 50-201
Email: info@gilgitbaltistan.gov.pk
 
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission ( ua@ahrc.asia)

http://www.balawaristan.net/Latest-news/human-rights-defenders-were-tortured-during-jail-custody-in-gilgit-baltistan.html

Solidarity: Release of youth leaders sought

A peaceful protest over the torture of Baba Jan Hunzai and other progressive youth movement leaders in Gilgit jail, held outside the National Press Club. PHOTO: MYRA IQBAL

 

ISLAMABAD: 
Youth and political activists staged a protest demonstration here on Sunday against the torture of Progressive Youth Front (PYF) activists, including its chairman Baba Jan, by police and intelligence officials in Gilgit Jail.

They demanded their immediate release and access to medical treatment facilities. The condemned the local government for not taken any initiative to investigate the brutal torture of the prisoners.
In prison, Jan and his comrades staged protests and planned a hunger strike against the inhuman condition in jail.

A large number of people, mostly from Gilgit-Baltistan, gathered outside the National Press Club (NPC) holding placards and banners. They were chanting slogans against the local police and security agencies for what they called their brutal act and demanded immediate release of the PYF activists.

Addressing the rally, Labour Party leader Advocate Nisar Shah said that the purpose of their protest was to invite the attention of national and international human rights organisations towards the brutal treatment meted out by the Gilgit-Baltistan government towards political activists.

“The maltreatment of Baba and others is not just illegal but also immoral and has no justification,” he said.

LPP federal committee members said that recently, a number of prominent international figures including Noam Chomsky and Tariq Ali have joined their struggle besides many international organisations that have written to the Pakistan government asking for Jan and the others’ release.

“It is violation of human rights; they have been punished for raising their voice for their fundamental rights,” said Agha Abdul Sattar, one of the protesters.

He said that if the government does not pay any heed to the peaceful demonstration, they would be left with no option but to stage a sit-in outside Parliament House and thousands of people from human rights group and progressive political parties would join them.

Later the participants of a rally disbursed peacefully.

Meanwhile, three youth activists have been arrested in Hunza while putting up posters seeking the release of the arrested PYF leaders, sources told The Express Tribune correspondent in Gilgit. Area police officials did not respond to calls made to confirm the arrests.

Jan and his colleagues, Iftikhar Hussain, Amir Khan, Rashid Minhas, Sher Khan, Irfan Ali and Amir Ali, were arrested on August 11, 2011 for agitation against the killings of an internally displaced (IDP) man and his son by police during a protest against delay in payment of compensation and settlement of the affected people of the Attabad Lake.

The Hunza-Nagar District administration had booked them under the Anti-Terrorism Act on charges of disturbing law and order.

Recently jail authorities had taken the initiative to shift Jan and his four comrades to Gilgit sub-jail. The reason for shifting Baba Jan and his comrades was that some of the other accused persons in the jail who were involved in the sectarian killings and in the Gilgit district jail and Jan and his comrades were resisting the sectarian division within the prison.

Before shifting the victims to the sub-jail Jan was taken out from the jail twice by police and intelligence agency officials, who tortured him and pressurised to halt his activities. On April 28, 2012, in the early morning, when military men and police came to shift him his friends tries to resist the move as they feared that they will be abducted and killed in fake encounter. The police and military men tortured and beat them severely before throwing them into police vans. During the ill-treatment, Baba Jan’s hand and several of his toes were fractured. His comrades, Iftikhar Hussain and Ameer Khan were also tortured.
To-date they have not been provided with any medical treatment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2012.

Stop Shia Killings in Pakistan and Gilgit Baltistan: GBNC

On April 14, 2012, hundreds of Shias from all over the United States gathered in front of the Embassy of Pakistan to protest Shia and minority killings in the country. Members and supporters of Gilgit Baltistan National Congress also joined the protesters.   Presence of Malika Baltistani, the chairperson of Gilgit-Baltistan National Alliance, was a shot in the arm for the members of GBNC. She delivered an inspiring speech about the rights of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and condemned Pakistani government for patronizing the terrorists. She lamented that even though Gilgit-Baltistan provides water, minerals and a safe route for Pakistan to China; yet, the native Shias are treated like captives. She said that Pakistan is pursuing the age-old Umayyad and Abbasid policy of Shia persecution. She said, “We are rebels and not traitors and Pakistani policies of alienation are responsible for this.” On the occasion, the president of Gilgit Baltistan National Congress, Imtiaz Hussain, issued a press release: The United Nations universal declaration on human rights guarantees freedom of religious practice and expression as a birth right. However, the natives of Pakistan controlled Gilgit-Baltistan have failed to attain their basic rights in the last six decades. Gilgit-Baltistan is an UN-declared disputed area and remains outside the constitutional jurisdiction of Pakistan. Several resolutions passed by both UN Security Council and UN Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP) have asked Pakistan to guarantee genuine autonomy to the region which then ensures freedom of political, judicial and socio-economic rights. However, Islamabad’s failures have caused an irreparable damage to the social fabric. Today, the urban parts of Gilgit-Baltistan present the picture of a war zone where natives live with fear and deprivation. Gilgit-Baltistan is a Shia majority area with considerable populations of Ismailia, Nurbakhsia and Sunni Muslims. Akin to Parachinar, where native Shias have been converted into a minority in their homeland, people of Gilgit-Baltistan also face ethnic cleansing, as attacks on Shias have become a routine matter. In many cases, law enforcement personnel are found involved in attacks on the Shias. The Shia massacre of 1988, for instance, was sponsored by the regime of General Ziaul Haque. During the episode, which lasted for 16 days, military officials provided direct support to the Jihadi terrorists belonging to Waziristan, Mohmand, Kohistan, Bajor and Swat districts. The Mujahideen attacked fourteen villages and forced tens of thousands of Shias to flee. These IDPs have failed to return to their homes due to lack of governmental patronage. Shia killings in Gilgit-Baltistan have a history that dates back to 1947, when Pakistani political agent, Sardar Alam Khan, engineered a series of sectarian conflicts to lengthen his autocratic rule. In 1972, the regime once again resorted to sectarianism to justify abrogation of State Subject Rule (SSR) which then culminated into arrival of thousands of illegal settlers in Gilgit-Baltistan. The move which was a violation of the UNO resolutions helped change local religious and ethnic demography and resulted into Shias becoming a minority in the capital city, Gilgit. Hundreds of Shias of Gilgit-Baltistan have lost their lives since then and the assailants remain at large under state protection. In recent weeks, first on February 28 and then on April 3, terrorists attacked buses loaded with passengers of Gilgit-Baltistan and slaughtered more than 100 Shias. The unfortunate incidents occurred in broad daylight on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which is dotted with police and military check posts. Eyewitnesses claim that police provided weapons to the assailants, who numbered in thousands. Following the Shia massacre, an indefinite curfew was imposed in Gilgit-Baltistan causing food and medicine shortages. As of now, the region is cut off from the rest of the world as traffic on KKH, the sole road linking Gilgit-Baltistan with Pakistan, remains unsafe and disrupted, and air travel is cost prohibitive for the vast majority. Given that Gilgit-Baltistan is an UN-declared disputed area and that Pakistan lacks the constitutional capacity to ensure fundamental rights and protection to the natives of the region; we urge the UNO to make necessary arrangements to ensure safety of life, honor and property in Gilgit-Baltistan. At the same time, we urge the regime in Islamabad to implement the following on immediate basis 1.      Respect UNO resolutions and reinstate State Subject Rule (SSR) to protect local ethnic, linguistic, religious and cultural demography 2.      Ensure protection to local languages and religions 3.      Resume trade and travel over Astore-Srinagar, Chorbat-Nubra, Marol-Khaltse, Drass-Gultari and Olding-Kargil roads to ensure travel safety on alternate routes 4.      Withdraw paramilitary from urban areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and strengthen local police 5.      Remove all militant hide outs and launch pads from Gilgit-Baltistan 6.      Arrest and prosecute the militants and military personnel who are involved in Shia killings 7.      Return control over natural resources and trade routes to Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly 8.      Abolish Gilgit-Baltistan Council and Ministry of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs (KGBA) to ensure genuine autonomy as recommended by the UNO We once again urge the UNO to persuade Pakistan to comply with these just demands In good faith, Gilgit Baltistan National Congress 1831 Belmont Rd NW Washington DC 20009

Gilgit Baltistan: In the shadow of colonialism By D J Mathal

Under the United Nations (UN) charter and the available explanations around the world, presence of a specific population, a defined geographical territory, culture, traditions and a distinct historical identity are considered necessary for making a nation. On the basis of almost this definition, nations around the world have their existence today. But it is also becoming a reality that powerful nations around the world are becoming hostile to the reality or openly denying this very principle to accept the existence of some nations. There are also some countries who have kept a number of nations in their peripheries hostage to their own will, just to plunder their resources and keep them subjugated. When we look around the world, this fact also becomes clear in the case of Gilgit-Baltistan, which, despite possessing all the characteristics of a nation, has not been given its identity for the last over six decades. It is also a fact that Gilgit-Baltistan is considered as the last colony of the 21st century. When we go back, it becomes clear that soon after World War II, democracy started taking roots in the world and all those nations who had been colonized by Britain, France and other powers started getting independence from the colonizing powers and a large number of new nations emerged on the map of the world. With this, the movement for independence also gained momentum in the Indian subcontinent where many nations launched struggle to get freedom from the yoke of the British Raj. However, the western powers here conspired to cede independence to the nations after calculating their future geo-strategic and military needs and requirements. The capitalist system of the West always dreaded communism and already highly impressed from the military and economic potentials of India, the British conspired to promote Hindu-Muslim schism and rifts in order to check the rise of India, especially in the backdrop of its leaders’ close and rising affiliation with the then USSR. This was in this perspective that a decision was taken by the British to merge the hundreds of states, who possessed their own distinct political, geographical and cultural existence at that time, into the two new states of India and Pakistan instead of giving them the right of maintaining their independence. These states were asked to join either India or Pakistan keeping in view their geographical location and aspirations of their peoples. However, in order to keep the two emerging countries under its influence and check the rising influence of the USSR in the region, the British, under a well-hatched conspiracy, created the dispute of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in the north of the subcontinent. To resolve the issue of this region, the UN was mandated to intervene and hold a plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the local people which way they want to go. Under this noble-looking decision, however, lay a trick to prolong the dispute and keep the two nations at each other’s throat. In the war that started in Kashmir in 1947, the people of Kashmir got some of their land vacated from the occupation of the Sikh rule with the help of Pathans and tribal Lashkar while the people of Gilgit-Baltistan kicked out the Dogra rulers. However, on Nov 16, 1948, Pakistan under a conspiracy sent one of its low level officials to the newly-liberated Gilgit-Baltistan on the pretext of providing administrative support and started its never ending occupation of the region. Then in order to prolong its rule in the region and plunder its resources, Pakistan entered into a fake agreement with the leadership of Kashmir and came out with the notorious Karachi agreement of April 28, 1949, linking Gilgit-Baltistan with the issue of Kashmir and claiming to have been given the right to take over the administrative control of the region. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan have since then observing April 28 as the black day. What would be more tragic than the fact that Gilgit-Baltistan which had been liberated by its own people was made the colony of Pakistan in the name of religion and nation. It is also tragic that all the three characters responsible for the fake Karachi agreement –Pakistan’s minister without portfolio Mushtaq Gurmani, then president of Azad Kashmir Sardar Ibrahim and head of the Muslim Conference Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas – were alien to Gilgit-Baltistan and had no mandate whatsoever to represent the people of the region or decide about the future of the area. With this conspiracy, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan started a struggle for getting back their lost freedom and protect their identity as a separate and a distinct nation. However, whenever their struggle got steam, Pakistan’s security agencies worked to divide the people by pitching them against each other on sectarian basis. This conspiracy of Pakistan to divide and rule the region and plunder its resources continues even today. In play its dirty game, Pakistan ahs never considered basic human rights or international laws and violated the people’s human, constitutional and political rights. It also kept the international community in the dark and misled it by claiming that the region had been given all the constitutional powers and rights. In this regard, Islamabad has also violated the UN resolutions about withdrawal of its troops for paying way to hold a plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the local people about their future. The latest package introduced by the PPP government in Aug 2009 was also a ploy of Pakistan to prolong its rule in the region and make the world believe that the region enjoyed all the basic political and economic rights as given to the four provinces of the country. But in reality the region remain as enslaved and subjugated as it was six decades aback with its people being treated as third-class citizens deprived of all basic human and political rights. In the struggle for getting all the rights and ensure protection of the local people’s identity, nationalist parties have been working tirelessly and succeeded to highlight the issue of the region at the international level. They have always rejected Pakistan’s assertion that Gilgit-Baltistan is a geographical part of Pakistan. It never was and never can be because its political status is yet to be decided by the international community keeping in view the aspirations of the local people. The nationalist parties of the region in particular and others in general are of the view that Pakistan should give freedom to Gilgit-Baltistan in order to save its own integrity otherwise a wave for getting the people’s rights will rise from Balochistan to Gilgit-Baltistan. It is better the rulers sitting in Islamabad realized the gravity of the situation and stopped thinking that the two million people of Gilgit-Baltistan can be kept enslave any further. The people of the region have become more conscious of their rights and their identity and are no more in a mood to believe Pakistan’s rhetoric that it can keep them under control and plunder their resources without any fear of being made accounted for.

Gilgit Baltistan: BJP presents resolution

The Bharatiya Janata Party presented its official resolution on Gilgit-Baltistan and expressed its concern over the human rights violations that occur in the region, especially after violence flared. BJP senior leader & Prabhari for J&K, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, alongwith State Chief Spokesperson & National Executive Member Dr. Jitendra Singh in  a press conference held at party headquarters on Sunday [29 April 2012], released the party’s official resolution on Gilgit-Baltistan adopted on first day of  its 2-day State Working Committee meeting. The draft of the resolution was written and presented by Dr. Jitendra Singh, while it was seconded by senior leader Chander Mohan Sharma before it was unanimously passed by the members of the Working Committee.  Talking to reporters, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi explained the reason for party’s concern for recent developments in Gilgit-Baltistan and said that by officially taking up the resolution in State Working Committee Meeting, the party has reiterated its support to the suffering masses in these areas and operation unleashed by Pakistan authorities.   Prof. Mukhi also spoke about BJP’s priorities in the forthcoming elections to Municipal Bodies and called upon the election authorities to extend the date of revision of voter lists by another 15 days in order to make polls free and fair. He said that party’s poll prospects will obviously be high as there has been a wave of change throughout the country against the existing dispensation and cases of corruption and scams involving Congress and other UPA alliances.   Dr. Jitendra Singh briefed the media about the salient features of BJP Resolution on Gilgit-Baltistan. Giving a background, he said that the Jammu and Kashmir, which Maharaja Hari Singh acceded to the Union of India in 1947 consists of (A)-J&K, which is a part ofIndia and (b)Pakistan Occupied part of J&K and also Northern areas of Gilgit-Baltistan comprising an area OF 78,114 sq. kms. Incidentally, the Pakistan Constitution itself admits that Gilgit-Baltistan  are not a part of Pakistan but a part of Jammu and Kashmir. Recounting the recent sequence of events, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Gilgit-Baltistan is going through a series of continuous human rights violations at the behest of ISI and Pak authorities. During the last one month itself, over 400 people from minority Shia Community were killed in cold blood, he added. Upon this, Dr. Jitermdra Singh referred to the disturbing reports about Pakistan planning to lease out these areas to China for 50 years, which besides serving strategic interests of two countries, will also serve business interests of China in gaining road connectivity to Afghanistan for gas resources. It is unfortunate that a senior minister of J&K stated on the floor of state assembly last month that Gilgit was only a concern of central government, he said. Citing the operative part of the resolution, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that BJP has called upon Government of India and Government of J&K to immediately intervene to check human rights violations in Gilgit-Baltistan. The J&K Legislature must adopt a resolution opposing reported move of Pakistan to lease out Gilgit –Baltistan to China.   Union External Affairs Ministry must immediately take up with Government of Pakistan the reported proposal of unauthorised lease of these areas by Pakistan to China.   The J&K BJP resolves that it shall not tolerate any compromise with territorial integrity of Jammu and Kashmir and that UPA government is bound by 1994 unanimous Resolution of Indian Parliament to get back areas of J&K, including PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan, which continue to be under illegal occupation of Pakistan.   It is further pledged that BJP will continue its crusade till it succeeds in securing justice for Gilgit-Baltistan and liberation of these areas from unauthorized occupation of Pakistan.   Below is an article published by GroundReport   http://www.groundreport.com/Business/JK-BJP-passes-resolution-on-Gilgit-Baltistan/2945774

Gilgit Baltistan : Curfew lifted, mobile service restoration in Gilgit

Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced lifting of curfew and restoration of mobile service in Gilgit from Saturday night.

Talking to newsmen here today with Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah after a meeting which reviewed the law and order situation in Gilgit‚ Malik said several persons were arrested following acts of violence in Gilgit. He assured that those found innocent would be released soon.
Minister said Police force strength in Gilgit would be increased to 10,000 from the present 5,000. Frontier Corps and Rangers personnel have also been directed to assist Gilgit Baltistan government in the maintenance of law and order, he added. FIA office will also be set up in Gilgit as part of efforts to improve the situation.

Malik said that religious scholars were also being taken on board in order to promote religious harmony in Gilgit and other areas.

Geo News Reported

Gilgit Baltistan : Curfew & daily-wage labourers in Gilgit Baltistan

The natives of Gilgit-Baltistan remain deprived of their basic rights – national identity and the right to self-governance. On the other hand, gross human rights violations continue to occur in the region, and after the Kohistan and Chilas massacres, the right to free and safe travel has also been taken away from the helpless residents of the area. Instead of arresting the terrorists behind the Kohistan and Chilas killings, the government imposed curfew in Gilgit two weeks ago. Life has come to a halt in the city which is now under the military’s control. There is an acute shortage of food items and medicines. During the first ten days of curfew, there used to be a break of four hours only in which people arranged for food and water. The telecom system is also completely blocked.

Those affected most by the curfew are the daily-wage earners. As the majority of the workforce in Gilgit are daily-wage labourers, and the curfew has forced them to remain shut in their homes, most of them are living in destitution. In short, the government has converted the region into a jail. Is there no one to remedy this situation?

by Hasnain Balti Skardu, Baltistan, Published in The News Pakistan

Gilgit Baltistan : People must rise for peace By DJ Mathal

The situation in Gilgit has improved considerably but night curfew has not yet been lifted. The law enforcement agencies, including the army, Scouts and other paramilitary troops continue their patrolling in the troubled areas and determination to keep an eye on the terror elements seems to be reassuring. Though the media has not been provided an opportunity to show the real picture of the situation, sources say that the army has made it clear to the provincial government as well as the police that until the last terrorist was apprehended and brought to justice their operation would continue in the area. Under the pan, in the first stage of the operation, all the activists and leaders of the extremist groups belonging to both the communities in the area would be arrested followed by an aggressive operation to clear the city of all illegal arms and ammunition. Besides, it has also been decided that mobile service will remained suspended for an indefinite period. It may be recalled that the modus operandi adopted by the army to deal with a similar situation in Parachinar had achieved the desired results. The reason behind the restoration of mobile service in Skardu was the ongoing rescue operation in the Gayari sector of Siachen where 138 army personnel and civilians remain trapped under an avalanche. And as soon as the operation reaches its conclusion the service will be suspended again.

The fact of the matter is that the nation has not come out of the April 3 tragedy during which innocent people were put to death mercilessly. This gory incident left the whole region divided into Sunni and Shia blocs sending a wave of shock and anger throughout the region. The chief minister later also acknowledged that had curfew not been clamped in the region, hundreds of more innocent people would have fallen victims to the senseless killings. Besides, the suspension of mobile service also worked in some way to keep the situation under control. Even though the government had to take all these extraordinary steps, people of the region still live in fear and avoid unnecessary movement out of their four walls. Apart from that, travel on the Karakoram Highway remains full of danger and after the recent killing of a truck driver at Nagar, the drivers went on a strike at Bisham but there was no one to give them guarantee of security.

After the April 3 killings, the police have registered about 17 cases of murder, arson and armed attacks but so far there is no details about how many people have been arrested and where they are being kept. The chief minister and most of his cabinet members still remain encamped in Sakrdu and seem not so interested in the law and order situation in other parts of the region. However, during the recent visit to Skardu by President Asif Ali Zardar, the chief minister demanded of the army chief that the police of Gilgit-Baltistan should be provided with modern arms and ammunition. After that the army chief ordered provision of about 3,000 guns to the police from the Wah ordnances factories. After supply of these arms, the chief minister should have no more excuse that a stick-wielding police can not deal with the terror elements. Actually, the main issue here is not lack of arms and personnel but spirit and sincerity to deal with the menace of terrorism and sectarian killings. Unfortunately, the chief minister lacks these elements. For the last over two years, people from different walks of life have been giving advices and proposals to improve law and order and end sectarian hatred in the region but the chief minister has failed to work on even one of them.

The other day President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Rza Gilani reviewed the overall security and law and order situation in the country and the issue of Gilgit-Baltistan was on top of the agenda. They also discussed ways to make the KKH safe for all types of travels. Though details of the meeting were not shared with the media, it is learnt that the meeting discussed deployment of army and other forces on the vital highway. Besides, the meeting also approved provision of all needed resources to the GB Scouts and police and induct more personnel in it. Some time back Interior Misister Rehman Malik had also approved appointment of about 1,000 personnel in the police but as it was part of the prime minister’s package it also met the same fate as the package which remained a dream. But now the situation in the region ahs forced the federal government to take immediate steps in this regard. But here a question arises: whether increase in the number of police would be enough to control the situation and restore durable peace in the region. We are of the opinion that to achieve the desired result, promotion of sectarian harmony and tolerance is of utmost importance compared to induction in the police and other security forces.

Besides, it is the responsibility of people from all walks of life to come out for maintenance of peace and sectarian harmony in the region. It is also necessary that people belonging to all schools of thought buried their hatchet and start a new beginning to live in peace and harmony. The common people of the region have fed up with the frequent killings and violence in the name of religion and they want to live in peace and harmony as they have been living in the region for centuries. Now they also understand the reality that some elements were hell-bent on destroying the peace of the area and pitch the people against each other to achieve their own interests. It is time we as a nation stop living as a silent spectator to the drama and raise our collective voice for the betterment of humanity so that our coming generations live in peace and without the fear of being put to death in the name of their sectarian affiliations.

Writer, DJ Mathal  is  from Gilgit Baltistan he is Chief Editor of BangShare – Newspaper. He can be reached through baangnews@gmail.com