Many injured during protest against new Gilgit-Baltistan law

Jamil Nagri Published May 27, 2018

GILGIT: Dozen of protesters, including a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) member in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Raja Jahanzeb Khan and Awami Action Committee chairman Maulana Sultan Raees, were injured during a clash with police here on Saturday.

Opposition parties in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), PTI, Islami Tehreek Pakistan and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), lawyers, civil society organisations, Anjuman Tajran and Awami Action committee had given call for a sit-in outside the assembly’s building where Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is scheduled to address a joint session of GB Legislative Assembly and GB council to announce formal enforcement of the GB Order 2018 on Sunday.

The police blocked all roads leading to the building by parking containers on it.

A large number of activists led by opposition leader in GBLA Shafi Khan and the assembly’s members from the PTI, PPP, MWM, started moving from Etihad Chowk towards the building.

According to eyewitnesses, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters who hurled stones at police personnel.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2018

Pakistan

Jamil Nagri is a Gilgit-Baltistan-based correspondent for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. His reporting and feature writing focus on CPEC, climate change, the environment, and adventure tourism. He can be found on X at @jamilnagri.

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420

May 27, 2018 10:08am

It’s sad to see on other side of J&k state.

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Truth

May 27, 2018 11:44am

PTI could win in GB in coming elections it seems.

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Sher Jang Gilgit-Baltistan

May 27, 2018 03:15pm

Decisions taken in utter haste are the reason of the agitation on the part of the general public who are of the view that the proposed package is nothing but re-imposition of FCR, a black law to imposed by the British Empire to rule the region. Opposition is united, it seems that, to mobilize the public against the package whom are of the view that it is the first step towards usurping the rights of the people on the pretext of granting full autonomy and representation in the national arena. Government functionaries have got their own justifications and point of views. Anyway, the tactics of how to bend the arms of the protesters will not yield any benefit to the government as the situation can blow into an uncontrollable mess a according to some observers. Instead dialogue and consensus on the key main issues is the need of the hour according to the observers.

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Afzal Shigri

May 27, 2018 04:19pm

Unfortunatelythe local govt. instead of pleading the case of GB has chosen to be party to adoption of a law that has already been rejected by the people. Use of force is not a solution. Even today as a protest markets were closed.

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Voice of Nation

May 27, 2018 08:22pm

It's been more than 70 years to the inception and annexation of this region to Pakistan but sad to find nonserious demeanor of government towards empowering and valuing the populace of Gilgit Baltistan which should have been brought at par with other regions now.

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