GILGIT, Aug 31 The president of People's Lawyers Forum, Amjad Hussain, has said that Yasin Malik has no right to comment about Gilgit-Baltistan because the area has no link with Kashmir.

“For the last 62 years the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have suffered in the name of Kashmir cause and they have been deprived of all rights while on the other hand Kashmiris enjoy all the facilities,” he said, while talking to Dawn here on Monday.

He said that even in Indian held Kashmir people benefited from constitutional rights as they were ruled through their elected representatives.

“Yasin Malik and other leaders of Hurriyat Conference and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have no right to talk about Gilgit-Baltistan because people from this region have gone through hard time and none of these leaders spoke for them,” he added.

Mr Hussain was of the view that though the package had no significance for the public because it could not be an alternative of what they demanded yet it was a step forward towards the betterment of the situation.

He said now people of this part would not allow any body to do politics in their name and nor the people were willing to suffer in the name of Kashmir cause.

“As far the package, it is not the substitute of the constitutional rights which the people are demanding but we hope for the best,” he added.

TOUR OPERATORS HAIL PACKAGE Tours Operators Association has appreciated the Gilgit-Baltistan Package of empowerment and self-governance and said the package would bring an economical revolution in the region.

Rehmat Nabi, president of the association, said Gilgit-Baltistan being a tourists' spot was badly affected by its name as the international media were also calling the federally administered tribal area as Northern Areas.

“Gilgit-Baltistan is the most peaceful and tourist friendly area in the country and it will make progress after the government changed the name of the region,” he added.

The Northern Areas Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Javed Hussain also termed the package a historic one.