The (sour) 'fruit' of new package

By Dj Mathal

At the time of announcement of the so-called Gilgit-Baltistan empowerment and self-rule order 2009, the federal government and the local chapter of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had umpteenth times tried to make the local people believe that like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who for the first time introduced political reforms in the region and made the area people speak for their rights, the present government was serious enough to take the reforms to their logical end and empower the people not only to formulate policies in accordance with their needs but also to run their local administration on their own without outside interference. But after passage of about five months, what we see on the ground? Are these promises and claims being followed? A new assembly has been formed and a chief minister taken oath under the new package but the fruits of all these exercises have started to reach the masses in the form of all the old practices. One such example is the appointment of Mian Shafqat Wali, an official of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and non-local, as the adviser to the governor of the region. This is the first major violation of the empowerment order which has no provision for appointment of a non-local in any capacity in the administration of the region.
The situation is so disappointing that the federal government of the PPP, which never tires of claiming to be the champion of democracy, has even failed to appoint a local person as governor of Gilgit-Baltistan and the minister for information is still occupying the seat. Even before appointment of a governor the seat has been made controversial by statements and counter-statements by the ministers and PPP leaders. Some times there are talks of appointing a woman as the governor and some times there are reports that a non-local person is coming as governor.
Unfortunately, Gilgit-Baltistan is the piece of land where the people have to look towards Islamabad for political upbringing. It is the bad luck of the people of the region that after kicking out the Dogra Raj from their region through bravery, unity and sheer patriotism, they landed at the lap of Pakistan to be ruled and discriminated against for so long time and still there is no hope of getting out of the quagmire. Today after the passage of about 63 years, they have been entangled in yet another wave of slavery in the form of the so-called empowerment order. It was promised that the region would get a council and after its formation the region would see a series of revolutionary development projects. So far the masses in the area are waiting for that day to come but the council has not been formed. Similarly, the post of the governor has become a joke and there is no hope that a local would be appointed governor of the region any time soon. It may be noted that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan had rejected the empowerment order 2009 even before its implementation terming it a new tool of colonialism, and very soon there apprehensions have turned out to be true.
Whether woman or a gentleman, the future governor of the region should be a local and educated one and everyone knows that Gilgit-Baltistan has no dearth of educated and capable persons. But the rulers would never want that the local people become masters of their own fate hindering the outsiders' way of looting and plundering the resources of the region. It is also very important for the chief minister that in order to prove himself as a true representative of the masses of the region, he has to make the federal government believe that the local people are more than capable to mange their affairs without outside interference. The chief minister should understand that fact that if not today tomorrow the region would get the right of self-rule but his personality would become controversial if he failed to meet the expectations of the public. If he does something good for the region, it would pay not only for the CM but also for the region.

Corruption in education dept

The education department of Gilgit-Baltistan has become the most corrupt department in the region where there is no concept of merit and accountability. It is said the corruption was started in the department during the tenure of former secretary Col Azhar Hussain and the disease has now spread to whole the region endangering their smooth functioning and creating numerous problems for the people. The department is awaiting upgradation for the last many decades but corruption has made its foundations hollow making its edifice prone to collapse, putting the future of thousands of youth of the region at danger.
At present teachers working in grade 14 to 17 are awaiting promotion but their future is at stake. Similarly, appointment of grade 19 teachers as directors has been kept in the cold storage and the officials are facing an uncertain situation and unable to speak out against the corrupt mafia. It is learnt that appointments and promotions are being made through internal conspiracies and intrigues without advertising the matter to the public.
We appeal to the supreme appellate court of the region to take suo motu action and order reforms in order to save the department from collapse and destruction. The time action by the apex court can save this vital department and bring the corrupt elements to task making it a lesson for others.