بلوچ گلزمین ءِ جارچین
وش آتکے
|
|
|
بلوچ گلزمین ءِ جارچین |
|
وش آتکے |
|
| |
| | گوانک ٹیوب | | | لبزانک | | | نبشتانک | | | سرتاک |
| |
|
How Constitutional, Political, Cultural and Economic rights are violated in Gilgit and Baltistan? Mr Chairman, friends and colleagues aslamao alaykam and afternoon. A comment was made earlier that we are here to look at ‘legal’ acts of Pakistan in Gilgit Baltistan. Since Gilgit Baltistan is not legally part of Pakistan, and article 257 of Pakistani constitution makes that clear; so any action they take is extra constitutional and illegal. I want to say that we are here to examine ‘illegal’ acts of Pakistan and oppose them, as they are illegal and undemocratic. It is generally agreed that democracy is a form of government where people can democratically elect their rulers and hold them accountable for their actions. In other words it is a government of people and for the people - a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation in which free and fair elections are held. In all democracies a right of political expression, a right of speech and freedom of press is essential. Furthermore political pluralism, equality before law and respect for human rights of all citizens is must. But in Pakistan and especially in areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan, this rule does not apply. Here it is a government of bureaucrats and for the interest of the bureaucrats. Their main aim is to protect and enhance their interest and interest of the establishment they represent. By establishment I mean bureaucrats - civil and military, secret agencies, top army elite, political elite which has always been there in one form another for many decades. Pakistan always had imperialist designs towards State of Jammu and Kashmir; they wanted to grab the State by hook or by crook. After failing to convince the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir to accede to Pakistan they resorted to military means and managed a tribal invasion on 22 October 1947. This military adventure resulted in first direct military clash between India and Pakistan. When a cease fire was arranged on 1st January 1949, Pakistan was in control of a large territory of the State, which was further divided in to so called Azad Kashmir or Free Kashmir and ‘Northern Areas’ which is constituent part of the State and was officially known as Gilgit and Baltistan. Whereas areas of Pakistani Administered Kashmir got some political rights and semi autonomous status in 1970, areas of Gilgit Baltistan were directly ruled by Islamabad with draconian laws without any civil and political rights. The present government of Pakistan which claims to be a champion of democracy and fundamental human rights has pronounced a new package for the people of Gilgit Baltistan and has hailed it as ‘empowering people’ and ‘granting people independence’. People of Gilgit Baltistan have rejected this package as ‘old wine in new bottles’. There has been strong opposition to this Package from various parts of the State, especially from Pakistani Administered Kashmir. Having said that I want to confess, that like in other oppressed and colonised nations, we also have collaborators on both sides of the LOC and they have welcomed the Package. Mr Chairman In my view the package has one positive thing – recognition of the fact that this territory is not ‘Northern Areas’ of Pakistan; and they have officially been recognised as Gilgit Baltistan. Apart from that the Package has given some more rights to the people, but aim of Islamabad is not to give more rights to people, but to annex this area by electing a docile Assembly and ask them to sign on a dotted line to complete the task of division of the State. First PPP government in 1970s tried to make Azad Kashmir a ‘Province’ of Pakistan; and abandoned it only after fiercely opposition. Islamabad has already appointed PPP Stalwart as a ‘Governor’, who will ensure that desired results are achieved in the elections which are due to be held on 12 November 2009. Even Pakistani political parties are not happy on this appointment, as they fear a PPP ‘Governor’ could not be impartial in the forthcoming elections and he will rig them to elect or select people who are loyal to him and his Party. This Package was prepared by a Committee that consisted of Pakistani bureaucrats and political activists, and was headed by a man called - Qamar Zaman Qaira who has become a new ‘Governor’ of the area. In other words as a head of this Committee he promoted himself to become a ‘Governor’; and this act alone shows this man cannot be impartial as he has vested interests. This Governor is called a ‘Viceroy’ of Gilgit Baltistan, and he will be a political master of the area; and he won’t be accountable for what he does in an area more than 29 thousand Sq miles; and to more than two million people. People of the area will have no role in his selection. This unelected Pakistani man will have enormous powers. He will even select a cabinet for Chief Minister. He will also have senior Pakistani Office Bearers, again selected by Islamabad to help him to accomplish his task of ruling this colony of Pakistan to promote interest of Pakistan at the expense of the local people.
Mr Chairman Today the world appears to be united in their fight against terrorism and fight against Talibans, who it is claimed are major source of terrorism and instability in the region. As a result of this war on terrorism Afghanistan has suffered enormously and tens of thousands of innocent people have perished even though Afghanistan had no role in tragic event of 9/11. Moreover the Talibans are not an Afghan phenomenon. They were exported to Afghanistan to accomplish certain tasks. Talibans are a product of a deliberate policy which has its own mechanism, source of inspiration and source of training and funding. It is wishful thinking to defeat this ideology and this creature while the infrastructure that created this monster is still alive and kicking; while it is still pursuing policies which create more Talibans. Brains and policy that produced Talibans have only changed their tactics; their real goals and strategic thinking has not changed. Whereas I am seriously concerned about peace and stability of the region, my fear is that forces of violence and destruction could be unleashed in my homeland – areas of Gilgit Baltistan. This will help Islamabad to strengthen their hold and strangulate those forces which believe in democratic rights for all citizens and which regard Islamabad as a colonial ruler. Furthermore this policy of talibanisation of Gilgit Baltistan will help Islamabad to protect and promote interest of the elite which controls and runs Pakistan in name of national interest. In view of this, we totally reject this new package and demand that Islamabad should relinquish its control and let people of the region run their affairs according to their interests and aspirations. I thank you Mr Chairman for your patience. Dr. Shabir Choudhry, Director Institute Kashmir Affairs Tel: 0044 77909 42471 Email: drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com My blog: www.drshabirchoudhry.blogspot.com/
|
