Mass protests sweep Gilgit Baltistan

[livingdead]

I admire some aspects of Socialism but state Communism is evil.

I dont think any communist in pakistan want 'total revolution', its the rightwingers who want it there.
What do you want @Azlan Haider

 

[Informant]

Why is this dharna happening?

 

[Armstrong]

Why is this dharna happening?

Withdrawal of subsidy on Wheat !

If it were up to me, I'd have subsidies reduced across the board - it continues to add to the Circular Debt without addressing any of the underlying issues - High Costs of Production, High Costs of Distribution and Monopolizing by Producers !

 

[M. Sarmad]

I dont think any communist in pakistan want 'total revolution', its the rightwingers who want it there.
What do you want @Azlan Haider

Communists/Socialists in Pakistan want a socialist secular democracy ......

 

[Armstrong]

Communists in Pakistan want a socialist secular democracy ......

Bhai jo asal baaat thiii aateiii ki boriii key uss ko tou aap goli karvaa gaiii !

 

[SarthakGanguly]

Baba Jan, a popular leader of the struggle leads a April 19 protest rally in Aliabad, Hunza Valley, in support of the charter of demands of the Awami Action Committee.

By Peter Boyle

April 21, 2014 -- Green Left Weekly -- A powerful popular protest is sweeping through the Pakistani-occupied disputed territory of Gilgit Baltistan. Since April 15, an indefinite sit-in strike (dharna) has been waged, uniting for the first time groups from a range of political and religious backgrounds against the removal of a longstanding wheat subsidy. On April 22 protesters will converge in a "long march" on Gilgit, the territory’s capital to surround the offices of local puppet government authority.

During the British colonial era, Gilgit Baltistan was occupied by the British-backed feudal ruler of Kashmir but Pakistan has occupied the territory since 1948.

Syed Asad Hasan, a progressive journalist in Gilgit Baltistan, told Green Left Weekly in an exclusive interview that the new protest movement had gathered so much support that even Pakistan’s major opposition parties have come under pressure to declare their support. A central protest leader, advocate Ahsan Ali, informed him that people will come from all the districts to "convert Gadi Bagh [the main square in Gilgit] into a new Tahrir Square".

So what is the background to this protest?

“In 1972 under the Shimla Pact between India and Pakistan, the former prime minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave the subsidy on wheat to Gilgit Baltistan because India was giving such a subsidy to Indian occupied Kashmir already. Moreover, according to the conventions of UNO Pakistan is bound to provide subsidies to this disputed area," Hasan explained.

“The ordinary people, most of whom are very poor and depend on the subsidy, believe the subsidy is their right.

“In order to put pressure against government’s action, the Jauhar Ali Khan Memorial Society (named after a nationalist leader of the 1950s) called all parties’ conference in which all religious, social, and political and student organisations were present. After a long debate they formed the Gilgit Baltistan Awami Action Committee to fight for the rights of people. The first item on the committee’s agenda was the reinstatement of the wheat subsidy.

“As the people of Gilgit Baltistan demonstrated that the AWC had the popular mandate, the committee, gradually increased the charter of demands to include the removal of tax, load shedding, fees in hospital and reinstatement of the subsidy on transportation which had been removed earlier.

“The AWC is calling for the removal of taxes because according to international law, there should be no taxation without representation. As an occupied territory Gilgit Baltistan is exempt from all type of taxes but government has imposed taxes on people of Gilgit Baltistan illegally.”

Hasan explained that “according to some political activists Pakistan has removed the wheat subsidy in under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, as Gilgit Baltistan is a disputed territory it is exempt from all these laws.”

He also agreed that a significant part of the wheat subsidy had been diverted through government corruption. But added: “First of all the people should be aware of their rights in the context of a disputed territory, secondly they should support the action committee’s struggle to get their rights in full.”

When negotiations with government failed, the action committee launched the sit in protest which are still going on throughout Gilgit Baltistan.

A local news publication, the Pamir Times, said this is the longest protest in the territory’s history. It reported that Gilgit's shops and roads had been closed for two days by the strike.

Farooq Tariq, the general secretary of the left-wing Pakistani party, the Awami Workers Party, told Green Left Weekly that his organisation strongly supported the protest and that one of its leaders, Baba Jan (who was previously jailed and tortured in Gilgit Baltistan), was playing a leading role the movement.

I will ignore the sectarian aspect(if any) and focus on the economic grievance alone.

Subsidies should not be provided as a carte blanche to the entire population. For the poor there can be arrangements made, but a region-wide subsidy does no justice to the bigger problems that lead to increased prices. Instead such subsidies feed them. And add to that rampant public distribution corruption.

As for the greater representation - that should be done regardless of what some foreign agency (read UN) says. The people's voices should be heard and this is a reasonable demand.

 

[Pakistanisage]

Lagta hai Muft Khori ki luuth par gayee hai.

 

[Areesh]

Rondu is one of the narrowest valley in Baltistan division, which connects Baltistan to Giglit.

Kutwal lake, Astak, Teriko, Basho are the tourist attractions.

Rondu is beautiful.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

The ironic thing is there have already been a few Indian poster say "hmmmmm interesting" , "Raw is watching" and saying they consider themselves non Pakistanis.

The Darda people were ruthless fighters during the partition and after and can't stand India.

One of the most badass people on the planet... n cruel when it comes to the enemy..

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

The Dogras were not the Indian Army or representatives of Indian state....hence the claim that them being slaughtered is some sort of indication of their choice for Pakistan or not for india is a logical fallacy...

and it seems there are other gilgit and baltistanis that consider the territory disputed...unlike you, but they exist and have been quoted in this article...hope you understand why I find it hard to accept when you speak for all people of the Pakistani occupied state..

1947- Martyrs memorial in Gilgit ...

1947 War of Liberation:

Honorary Captain Muhammad Baber Khan took part in liberation war 1947/48. On partition, Gilgit agency was handed over to Maharaja of Kashmir by the British government. Brigadier Ghansara Singh arrived at Gilgit to take over the charge as Governor. Later on Major General H L Scott the chief of military staff of Kashmir also joined. The troops of Gilgit Scouts being 100% Muslim were in favour of accession to Pakistan. On 31 October 1947, in the afternoon, Honorary Captain Muhammad Baber Khan called the meeting of the Junior Commissioned Officers of Gilgit scouts in the Junior Commissioned Officers’ mess, where it was unanimously decided to over throw the dogra rule.

The governor surrendered on 1stNovember 1947. The Muslim company of 6 Jammu Kahmir infantry battalion coming to Gilgit from Bunji under command Captain Hassan Khan also joined the scouts. The scouts attacked and destroyed dogra check post and burnt Partab Bridge. The Sikh and dogra elements deserted and were later captured. 27000 sq miles were thus liberated from Dogra Raj. The force was then placed under command Major Muhammad Tufail Shaheed (Nishan-i-Haider), Honorary Captain Muhammad Baber Khan of 1stNorthern Light Infantry Regiment who played the most vital role in the war of liberation (from Dogra Raj) in 1947.

Northern Light Infantry:

Ok man cool.



Population of 3.6% account for 12% of the Pakistani army. Crazy stat.

 

[BATMAN]

Dharna in Gilgit (Day 9)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152005138377617

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152003022307617

Vehicles from Hunza-Nagar reaching Gilgit Dharna

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152002858197617

04/24/2014 01:58 London: Students from Gilgit-Baltistan express solidarity with Awami Action Committee by Pamir Times


PAMIR TIMES
A group of students from different parts of Gilgit-Baltistan staged a token protest demonstration in London (UK) to express solidarity with the Awami Action Committee and the participants of the Dharna and Long March in Gilgit and Skardu.

Shut up troll !!

Shame on foreign puppets, protesting in UK.
Recent maps all around, already show Gigit Baltistan as part of India.
I hope people would now understand, why Zardari annexed Gilgit from NWFP and renamed NWFP on ethnic lines.
Its airport named after a hater of Pakistan and its heroes.
This is why after elections result divided all provinces among various parties.

 

[Informant]

G&B are as much Pakistanis as are Kashmiris. We dont include then in Pakistan "officially" because of a technical issue with Kashmir stance.

@Armstrong though we should just let Kashmir go to India and keep GB with us, now these mofos are hard core, true sons of this soil.

 

[waz]

That is such a beautiful and awe inspiring photo. Our men in uniform and the mightiest mountains in the world in the background. At times I laugh with my Dardic cousins as to who has the better scenery us (Azad Kashmir) or them (Northern Areas).

In the end we all sons of our fatherland.

 

[Areesh]

That is such a beautiful and awe inspiring photo. Our men in uniform and the mightiest mountains in the world in the background. At times I laugh with my Dardic cousins as to who has the better scenery us (Azad Kashmir) or them (Northern Areas).

In the end we all sons of our fatherland.

To be honest GB is more beautiful. In fact it is the best in whole of Pakistan.

 

[waz]

To be honest GB is more beautiful. In fact it is the best in whole of Pakistan.

Nah. Parts of it. We have the Neelum Valley.

@Armstrong though we should just let Kashmir go to India and keep GB with us, now these mofos are hard core, true sons of this soil.

You're kidding right?

Might as well call the state Paistan......The K stands for Kashmir.