GILGIT BALTISTAN, Pakistan GILGIT:
29 January 2024
The lives of people in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’s (POK) & (GB) Gilgit Baltistan as a complete shutter down and wheel-jam strike was observed against an increase in the subsidized wheat rate and other grievances across the region, as reported by Dawn. People have been holding big protest demonstrations and rallies in all districts of Gilgit Baltistan, and hence the traffic has been suspended in all the regions.
Moreover, shops, markets, restaurants, and trade centers were closed on Friday in various areas of Gilgit, Skardu, Diamer, Ghizer, Astore, Shighar, Ghanche, Kharmang, Hunza, and Nagar.
The Awami Action Committee (AAC) gave the strike call, in consultation with the associations representing traders, transporters, and hotel owners, according to Dawn.
However, it was the next phase of the protest that has been going on for the last month against the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s decision to raise the subsidized wheat prices.
Maryam S Khan, a researcher at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), Pakistan, posted on social media X, stating that the largest telecom operator of POK, Special Communications Organization, has blocked internet services in Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
“As protests grow stronger over wheat subsidy issue, SCOM @hq_sco has blocked internet services and mobile network in Gilgit Baltistan,” Khan reposted on X.
Whereas, an X(Twitter) user shared a video of Senator Farhatullah Babar, stressing that Gilgit Baltistan is the only region of Pakistan where people do not own their lands.
“Gilgit-Baltistan is the only region of Pakistan where people do not own their lands, Pakistan does not implement the 18th amendment in GB because after that people will become the owners of their own lands. This is an area being denied,” he said.
Meanwhile, as the protests continued, attendance in private and government offices and educational institutions remained thin owing to the unavailability of transport, hence, causing difficulties for people to purchase essential commodities and travel.
Notably, the AAC announced that marches from various areas of the region towards Gilgit and Skardu will begin today, as reported by Dawn.
Furthermore, on Friday, a large number of people participated in a protest demonstration, held at Siddiq Akbar Chowk in Chilas, the district headquarters of Diamer, after Friday prayers.
The speakers condemned the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s decision to raise the subsidized wheat rate, terming it a failure of the chief minister.
They further warned that if their demands were not fulfilled, the Karakoram Highway would be blocked, Dawn reported.
Moreover, protest rallies and demonstrations were also held in Tangier, Astore, Kharmang, Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche, Hunza, Nagar, and Ghizer after Friday prayers.
However, the main demonstrations were staged at Garibagh in Gilgit and Yadgar-i-Shuhada in Skardu where thousands of people gathered for their daily, hours-long sit-in.
The AAC chief organizer, Ehsan Ali, said that GB residents had been deprived of their basic rights for the past seven decades.
“Currently, the GB people have been facing 22 hours of electricity outages, despite spending billions of rupees annually from public funds,” he said.
Amidst all these protests and demonstrations, GB Governor Syed Mehdi Shah held a meeting with President Arif Alvi in Islamabad on Friday and discussed the overall situation in the region, including wheat subsidy and other issues, as reported by Dawn.
According to a statement issued by the Presidency, the president told the governor that he had raised the issue with the caretaker prime minister and finance minister and hoped that it would be resolved soon. (ANI)
The ongoing protests against a hike in the subsidized wheat prices in Gilgit Baltistan are set to intensify, with the Awami Action Committee (AAC) announcing the next phase of demonstrations involving a complete shutter-down strike in Skardu today (Wednesday) and region-wide protests from Friday.
Under the strike, shops, markets, trade centers, hotels, and other businesses will remain closed from 2 pm onwards, creating a standstill in the area’s commercial activities.
Residents have already been facing challenges in buying essentials due to the closure of stores. Thousands of people have participated in three-hour daily sit-ins at Skardu’s Yadgar-i-Shuhada. The protesters have vowed that their demonstrations will continue until the decision to hike subsidized wheat prices is revoked. They have also demanded the government improve the electricity supply and repeal the finance bill.
On Tuesday, a protest march started from Hoper Valley in Nagar and was directed towards the Gilgit district. The participants, carrying banners and chanting slogans against the government and in favor of their demands, were on foot, with many protesters joining them on the way.
Awami Action Committee announces region-wide protests from Friday
The protesters passed through Nagar Khas and entered the Karakoram Highway, reaching Gulmit, Nagar, near the Rakaposhi viewpoint by evening. The group planned to stay at Ghumat for the night before continuing their march towards Gilgit on Wednesday.
Protesters from Sikandarabad, Chalt, and other villages blocked the Karakoram Highway at Harspodas, the district headquarters of Nagar.
Sit-ins were also observed in Garibagh, Gilgit, with additional demonstrations taking place in the Yasin Valley of Ghizer, as well as in the Shigar and Ghanche districts.
Meanwhile, the Awami Action Committee has outlined the next phase of its protest strategy. At a core committee meeting in Gilgit on Tuesday, led by AAC chief organizer Ehsan Ali Advocate, the members decided to implement ‘Plan B’ of their movement.
Mr Ali, addressing the protesters in Garibagh Gilgit, announced a region-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike across all 10 districts of Gilgit-Baltistan on Jan 26 (Friday) and Jan 27.
He emphasized that massive protest demonstrations are scheduled across the region on these dates, with a central protest planned at Garibagh. He also cautioned that if the government fails to retract its decision, a more intensified ‘Plan C’ will be announced on Saturday.
The GB’s transporters association and drivers’ union leaders also participated in the protest sit-ins.
Protesters, braving harsh weather, have been on the roads for over a month, expressing frustration over the government’s reluctance to address their demands. They warned that any delay in meeting their demands would lead to an expansion of the protest movement. Furthermore, they held the government accountable for any adverse incidents that might occur during the demonstrations.
The protesters have also highlighted that the current demonstrations in Gilgit Baltistan are being organized on a bigger scale than the gatherings by political parties in other parts of the country.
They expressed disappointment over the lack of response from both the caretakers at the helm in Pakistan and the GB’s government, emphasizing that their demands are not limited to the reversal of the wheat price hike but also include the fulfillment of other critical needs.