People in the illegally occupied region of Gilgit-Baltistan are infuriated over the destruction of houses that are meant for the flood-affected area.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Assistant Commissioner of Gilgit ordered the local administration to demolish the houses with the help of bulldozers. The Shiite organisation "Anjuman Hussainia Nagar Welfare" were building the houses at Gilgit Square.
Feelings among the people of the region are that of subjugation and being second-rate citizens. They are annoyed that non-local bureaucrats mostly Punjabis are running the government like their personal fiefdom and treating common people as their slaves. They are destroying homes, grabbing lands and selling out them to outsiders. The awareness among the people of Gilgit Baltistan about their fundamental rights is increasing rapidly and they have become vocal against tyrannical acts of bureaucracy and security forces including Punjab Rangers. The people of Nagar are being hailed for resisting such acts which they deem as acts of colonization.
Meanwhile, Awami Workers Party Chairman Comrade Baba Jan condemned the act and called it "inhuman". The party further stated such an act depicts the apathetic attitude of the government and bureaucracy attitude towards flood-affected people.
He alleged that on one hand, the government had abandoned the victims of earthquakes and floods. On the other hand, it has tried to sabotage the rehabilitation work being carried out by Anjuman Hussainia of Nagar after purchasing the land.
Words fell short to condemn such kind of brutality. Awami Workers Party Chairman demanded immediate steps for the rehabilitation of flood victims and compensation for demolished houses and warned that if these demands are not met, a protest movement will be launched across Gilgit Baltistan. Faizan Mir, General Secretary of Awami Action Committee announced that they will chop off the tongues of those declaring GB people's lands as govt lands.
All political, religious and human organisations while condemning the inhuman act said that it shows an apathetic attitude of the govt & bureaucracy attitude towards flood-affected people.
Local leaders alleged that the puppet government of Gilgit Baltistan is occupying the plains of the regions by declaring them (Khalsa) government land and is usurping the pastures and hills in the name of national parks, which is inhumane, un-Islamic and illegal. "This is everyday subjugation they witness in Gilgit Baltistan."
How mercilessly Gilgit Baltistan is being plundered by Pakistani authorities and mafias with hands in gloves with their local elite and counterparts is that shifting of million years old historic rocks carved thousands of years ago are being shifted to an unknown destination. The ongoing destruction of Gilgit Baltistan's history, cultural landscape and natural resources over 75 years is unprecedented. Forests are being cut indiscriminately at Thak Babusar and Jamudas in connivance with the administration.
The Punjab Rangers are also being accused of running their own kind of rule in various parts of GB. Not only the people but also the tourists have been complaining about the high-handedness and corruption of Punjab Rangers for a long time. It has been a long-standing demand of the political and social circles of Gilgit Baltistan that the Punjab Rangers should be replaced by the Gilgit Scouts and Police.
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