GILGIT: Speakers at a multiparty conference on Monday termed the enforcement of the Fourth Schedule in Gilgit-Baltistan as a tool to stifle the demand for constitutional rights for the GB people.

They alleged that names of students, religious scholars, political and social activists had been put in the schedule with a view to harass them.

The conference titled ‘solution of 70 years deprivation of GB people’ was held in Gilgit.

On the occasion, opposition leader in GBLA captain retired Mohammad Shafi Khan said the Fourth Schedule had been used to take revenge against workers of opposition parties of PML-N government.

He said the 18th constitutional amendment had not been extended to GB, which envisaged shifting powers rested with the centre to GB like other provinces of the country, but the National Action Plan and Forth Schedule had been extended to the region under the 21 amendment.

BNF leader Nawaz Khan Naji said GB people had no complaints with Pakistan but had strong reservations about mistreatment by successive governments in Islamabad.

Awami Action Committee chairman Maulana Sultan Raees said the use Fourth Schedule against the political opponents was not a good omen for the state, and demanded removal of names of students and workers of AAC from the schedule.

GB Bar Council vice chairman Javed Ahmed said the lawyers’ community was working on an acceptable formula for good governance in GB.

Agha Abbas Rizvi of AAC said GB people had united for their rights.

DROWN: Two sisters drowned in the Indus River near Haramosh valley on Monday.

Police identified the victims as eighth grader Sonia Batool, 13, and Hira Batool, 7, a third grader, residents of Shatot village of Haramosh valley. They said the house of the victims was situated near the bank of the Indus, where they had gone along with a five-year-old cousin on Sunday afternoon.

They, however, said their cousin returned home, but the victims did not.

On inquiry by the parents of the victims, their cousin told them that both of them had fallen into the river. She told them that Hira fell into river while playing, and Sonia also jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue her sister.

Afterwards, the parents informed their neighbours and police about the incident. The locals took part in rescue operation to retrieve the bodies, but to no avail.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018