A no men's land called Gilgit-Baltistan
By DJ Mathal

The so called assembly that came to life through the wombs of good governance ordinance 2009 has once more attempted on a resolution on the directives of the mercenary bureaucracy and agencies. The resolution is aimed at probing into the grotesque difference of none but those presenting the resolution regarding Attabad disaster. Kudos…! Even the most ignorant of the affairs of the state will understand that this resolution is but to divert the attention of the public and media towards the disaster that brought doomed thousands of innocent lives in the region and speaks volumes for the arrogance and helplessness of the so called representatives of the public. What can be of more shame to the orphaned nation than the fact that the so called representatives of the public themselves confessed of their helplessness and impotence regarding the situation. Such resolutions did no good than to rub salt into the lives of the impoverished and aggrieved affectees of Attabad disaster. To fan the fire the chief minister known for his illogical statements has once more threatened the protestors of dire consequences saying those burning flags of the ruling party will be dealt with an iron hand. Such malicious statements are nothing new as the chief minister earlier had brushed away his own impotence regarding aid works for the affectees by terming the protestors who raised their voices during the visit of the prime minister as 'deflators inventing ways for writing off their loans, This is the saga of a democratic government whose face has exposed in a way like never before. In the no mans land, called Gilgit-Baltistan such oppressions and bulldozing of basic democratic rights are a common norm that other civilized nations cannot think of in the worst of times. Even the nazees and other fascists dictators heads will bow with shame for what a democratic government and so called representatives of public are doing to the lives of those hit by disaster of the worst kind in the history of the region. The reality of the so called elected representatives is exposed like never before. These worshipers of the rising sun have always auctioned the very integrity of the region and its people for the sake of mere personal gains and to please their mentors in the corridors of power in Islamabad.The 63 years oppression speaks itself for the violation and oppression that has dawned upon the deprived nation due to its own so called impotent leaders and black sheep's in their own ranks. These so called leaders have inflicted upon the poor masses of the region like parasites sucking whatever of the integrity and the economy that is left of the region and its people. This never ending slavery that has engulfed two generations with holding the necks of a third generation never seems to come to an end. The time has came that the oppressed and doomed nation should ask its so called representatives the very basic questions that have haunted every conscious men of the region for the last 60 years. The 'vote beggars, should for now be shown the mirror and a glimpse of the non existing power that these self proclaimed leaders are so much boasting about. These leaders should be told that it's the vote of ours that has made them to sit in the assembly that better be called factory of Pakistan that churns out package after package but to no use. The self proclaimed leaders should be told as they will never themselves understand that Gilgit-Baltistan itself is a country and should be dealt accordingly. Gilgit-Baltistan is not like Balochistan or Waziristan and neither is it the life blood of Sindh, Punjab or Pakhtoonkhwa. It has its own distinct culture, civilization and identity and its dwellers are very well aware of how to protect the motherland. It's a curse that Gilgit-Bakltistan became a victim to the great game that resulted in the splitting into pieces of the subcontinent. But it's doubly so for the no mans land called Gilgit-Baltistan as its elected government was brutally toppled at its very infancy. Things did not stop here and the oppressors went rampage in attacks on the culture, civilization and languages of the region that forms the very core of its identity. No line of difference was spared by the oppressors that took the reins of this unlucky nation in 1947 and fanned every aspect of a possible dividing line inflicting the region with parasites of sectarianism and clan related blood feuds. It may be mentioned that the division of Shain-Yashkun was in its full swing before the current menace of Shia-Sunni divisions.Despite of following the resolution of the United Nations, the oppressors turned Gilgit-Baltistan into an army garrison thus paving path for an unending oppression and notorious conspiracies about the local indigenous population. Never to mention the never existing 'state subject rule, whose very essence was blown into pieces by settling Punjabis and Pathans to change the demography of the region thus turning the local indigenous population into a minority. As if these measure were not enough to keep the land in chains the oppressors embarked upon building dams in the disputed territory, a planned aimed at submerging Gilgit-Baltistan in order to have water flow into the barren lands of Punjab and Sindh.The so called provincial government of Gilgit-Baltistan stabbed the knife of sectarianism into the hearts of the masses right from the very first day. The innocent protestors staging protest demonstration in Chilas against the non payment of compensation were fired upon by the state machinery sawing the first seeds of sectarianism and latter the Attabad aafectees were baton charged when they protested against government's apathy. The recent incidents of firing upon and baton charging of innocent protestors has proved this notion that Pakistan's intelligence agencies are using the provincial government as an armor and 'front stage, players who act as mere instruments of chess. The loyal-to-the-king-more-than-the-king, chief minister has hinted upon a crack down against the protestors of Attabad incident once the lake saga is over. The recent bout of nationalism among the youth of the region in the wake of Attabad disaster has doubly added to the increasing momentum of nationalism in Gilgit-Baltistan. The provincial government's apathy and misdeeds do no good but to fan the fire of nationalism that is gaining momentum with each passing day in the region. The warnings from chief minister will only prove to be the first drop of land for the nationalism movements of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Internal autonomy claim exposed, finally

By Dj Mathal

The fifth session of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) started at the eye of a storm. At the outset, the members burst at Speaker Wazir Baig, who being a resident of Hunza Nagar, has been drawing flaks from the public in the wake of the Attabad lake crisis. The members were of the view that they were not taken into confidence before convening the fifth session nor informed about the agenda of the sitting. Those criticizing the speaker included members from both the treasury and the opposition benches. During the debate, the members slammed the government led by Mehdi Shah and said that despite repeated warnings, the local government in collusion with the centre had not only committed criminal negligence about tackling the crisis but also delayed any tangible action to mitigate the sufferings of the affected people in order to get donations from outside. They said on the face of public wrath and media outburst, the government deliberately staged the drama of spillway. But the fact was that dangers increased instead of decreasing due to the spillway. The members asked for formation of a judicial commission to probe into the facts and bring those responsible for the deteriorating situation to book.On the other hand, the ruling party and the cabinet ministers expressed their utter helplessness and passed the bug to the bureaucracy in order to escape from the public criticism. They were of the view that the political leadership and the government should not be blamed for the crisis as they were powerless. They said that since January 4, the political leadership was neither taken into confidence about the opening of the artificial lake nor given any briefing on the issue. Even they were not provided with any correct information about the losses of lives and properties in the calamity-hit area. They termed it an open insult with the house. Minister for education and the spokesman for Mehdi Shah government Ali Madad Sher informed the house that despite his repeated demand, the bureaucracy had even not apprised him of the measures, if any, taken for the future of the students affected by the crisis. He also accused the bureaucracy of keeping him ignorant about the key matters and demanded that a judicial commission should be formed to probe into the issue.Witnesses said the fifth session of the assembly was a clear-cut expression of helplessness and powerlessness by the members. When the PPP-led federal government had started the mantra last year that unlike its predecessors it was going to transfer real powers to the people of Gilglit-Baltistan under the good governance and self-rule order 2009; we through these columns had reminded and warned the people of the region about the hollowness of the package and shenanigans of the political leaders of Pakistan. We had told them that the rulers of Pakistan, including its military establishment, would never want to empower the people of this region and make them masters of their own destiny. In fact, the actual objective of bringing the latest so called package was Pakistan's bid to hoodwink the international community and avoid harsh criticism it was receiving due to its abysmal human rights record in the area. When we fulfilled our responsibility by informing the masses about the actual designs of the rulers, we were termed traitors and accused of creating disinformation in the region. Besides, all tactics, including stopping government advertisements, were used by the PPP government to pressure and stop us from raising such issues. Now it is another matter that the members of the assembly themselves are crying out that they are helpless and powerless in front of the bureaucracy and that they are even not being taken into confidence or briefed about public matters.The question is what the bureaucracy has so far done in coping with the Attabad crisis since January 2010. What have been done for the opening of the artificial lake; who were responsible for the accumulation of the lake water to such a danger level, and why the blocked water was not released on time? Now who will be held responsible for the destruction of so many precious lives, standing crops, orchards, fertile land, cattle and other valuables? Thousands of displaced people are now living in dilapidated camps devoid of any basic amenities of life in Gilgit.Apart from the members, the open and candid acknowledgement by a sitting minister and official spokesman that they were powerless in front of bureaucracy and that a judicial commission should be formed to probe into the matter shows that it has officially been admitted that the local government despite tall claims by the powers that be is a rubber stamp and being remotely run by others. Though late, it is a candid acknowledgement of our leaders' helplessness and double standard. Till recently, they even did not seem ready to even accept the reality and now as it has come from the ruling party and that too on the floor of the house, we at least should congratulate Minister Ali Madad Sher for the candid submission.It is time other ministers and political leaders should also followed suit and understood the fact that until and unless the government of Pakistan created gave the right of self rule to the area people in accordance with the UN resolutions, powers in a real term cannot be transferred to the local people. Short of this, no package or governance order will suffice to give the political and economic rights to the region that have been denied to it for the last over six decades. On this occasion, we also repeat our demand that our political leaders should compel Pakistan to form an AJK-like set-up in Gilgit-Baltistan till final resolution of the issue because Islamabad has been using the so called packages to hoodwink the world community and the people of the region remain deprived of their rights.