GILGIT: As activities for the upcoming general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan pick up steam, workers of all political and religious parties staged a joint rally in Gilgit on Thursday demanding the provincial status for the region.

They flayed the Indian government’s ‘propaganda’ against Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The participants asked the federal government to immediately declare GB the constitutional part of this country to ‘end seven decades long political deprivation of the residents’.

The Istehkam-i-Pakistan Rally was taken out from the Government High School No 1 with activists of the PML-N, PPP, PTI, Jamaat-i-Islami, Islami Tehreek Pakistan and other parties and civil society attending it in large numbers.

Holding party and national flags and shouting Pakistan Zindabad slogans, the participants marched on various roads before gathering outside the Gilgit Press Club building.

They said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan were the most patriotic citizens of Pakistan and their final objective was to formally become part of Pakistan.

They flayed the Indian ‘propaganda’ against the call for making GB the constitutional province of Pakistan and declared it interference in Pakistan’s affairs.

“We want to convey it to India that the heart of every resident of GB beats for Pakistan,” Mohammad Usman said demanding the provincial status for the region.

The other participants said the people of GB had got the region liberated by themselves and annexed it with Pakistan unconditionally.

Ahmed Nabi said people from all walks of life in the region unanimously asked the Pakistani government to declare GB a separate province.

He said the people of GB were united to foil the Indian concepercies against Pakistan and its propaganda against their rights.

The participants said the people of the region were Pakistanis and would continue to be Pakistanis.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2020