EditorialSimmering discontent in Gilgit Baltistan !

Simmering discontent in Gilgit Baltistan !

Date:

Thousands of residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) Gilgit-Baltistan have been protesting
the Pakistani government's use of colonial 'Khalsa Sarkar' laws for land grabs in the region. According
to the law, the federal government could claim "ownership of barren or uncultivated land" in Gilgit-
Baltistan, even if the local community owned it collectively.
During the ongoing protests in Gilgit-Baltistan, protesters were seen in the region shouting anti-
Pakistan slogans. Angry protesters chanted slogans such as "Islamabad must listen to Gilgit" and
"Pakistan has betrayed our trust."
Locals have also expressed concern about the re-imposition of the Gilgit Baltistan Revenue Tax 2022,
which was previously revoked following several discussions between the people and authorities,
according to the report. Protests over load shedding, the flour crisis, and ownership of Khalsa Sarkar
land were highlighted in a report by Pakistan's vernacular media outlet Baad-e-Shimal.
The protesters in the were seen threatening the Shehbaz Sharif government that if the new
taxation law is not repealed, they will march toward and rather than Pakistan.
It is important to note that protests are taking place against the Pakistani military for forcibly
establishing control over Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) through land grabbing
and heavy taxes.
The report stated that protests over Baltistan residents' concerns have been intensifying with each
passing day, and that Pakistan's military establishment continues to assert coercive claims over the
area's land and resources. Prior to this, on December 28, local traders and members of various
political and social organisations observed a shutters-down strike in various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan,
with markets closed and vehicles off the roads. The majority of the anti-government protests are
taking place in the districts of Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Shigar, Ghanche, and Kharmang.
Local leaders in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) introduced a resolution in November
2021 to repeal the Khalsa Sarkar laws. However, the bill nor the resolution was sanctioned by the
legislature "due to differences among legislators". Following this, several protests have occurred
since November 2021, but the Pakistani military, in collusion with the pro-Pakistan civilian
leadership, continues to exploit people in the region and refuses to allow any changes in the laws.
A major uprising has been reported in various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan against the new taxation law
passed by the Legislative Assembly, which will affect the common people who are already suffering
from a prolonged electricity shortage in the region. The bill was passed for the first time by the
Assembly in August of this year, but was rejected by Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Syed Mehdi Shah in
September.
Mehdi Shah refused to sign the bill and instead returned it to the Assembly for review. The bill was
reintroduced in the Assembly and recently passed for the second time in order to become law.
The chairman of the National Equality Party Jammu Kashmir Gilgit Baltistan and Ladakh (NEP JKGBL)
said on Twitter, "Ppl of #GilgitBaltistan protest for the 8th consecutive day at Yaadgar. The
#Pakistani government and media have closed their eyes and ears."
According to a fact-finding report released last year by Pakistan's Human Rights Commission, the
Khalsa Sarkar system violated human rights standards, including the 'United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,' which protects indigenous peoples' "rights to their

collective bio-cultural heritage as a whole, including traditional knowledge and resources, territories,
cultural and spiritual values, and customary laws."

Northlines
Northlines
The Northlines is an independent source on the Web for news, facts and figures relating to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and its neighbourhood.

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