New Delhi (NVI): The people of Gilgit-Baltistan, a part of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, are up in arms against the Pakistani establishment over a number of issues, especially the shortage of food grains created by Islamabad amidst the coronavirus crisis.
To highlight their angst against Pakistan, Awami (People’s) Action Committee, a prominent organisation of Gilgit-Baltistan, has called for a general strike in the region tomorrow.
The strike has been called to protest against Pakistan’s decision to reduce wheat quota for Gilgit-Baltistan in the midst of coronavirus crisis. The strike has been called at a time when the locals are also angry over Pakistan’s move to send ‘tourists’ to the region as they fear the incoming people would bring coronavirus cases to the region.
The people of Gilgit-Baltistan are also agitated over the construction of Daimer Bhasha Dam in the region and want its royalties to be paid to the locals.
The Awami (people’s) Action Committee is an umbrella organisation, which includes several political and civil society organisations of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Pakistan has been desperately trying to suppress the activities of this organisation and silence its leaders and members by invoking draconian laws like Anti-Terrorism Act and preventing them from travel outside the region, without permission from local authorities of the Pakistani establishment. Most of the leaders and activists are imprisoned with false cases.
Infrastructure in the region has been in shambles for 70 years, lacking proper roads, railway, commercial airport, hospitals and universities.
The only hospital in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is the Combined Military Hospital, which is controlled and run by the military, with locals having no access. Local people have to walk long distances to reach a road from where sick persons can be transported to a government hospital in Rawalpindi. Many sick persons do not survive till then.
Similarly, anyone in Gilgit-Baltistan wanting to pursue higher studies has to go to Rawalpindi, Lahore or Karachi. In fact, one of the main reasons for backwardness of Gilgit-Baltistan is lack of quality educational institutions in PoJK.
