Simmering discontent in Gilgit Baltistan !

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 videos were seen threatening the Shehbaz Sharif government that if the new taxation law is not
repealed, they will march toward Kargil and Ladakh rather than Pakistan.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 international 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.”