Author: Golam Yazdani
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: April 26, 2005
Even after the breakup of Pakistan
in 1971, Pakistani rulers, especially the Army, have not learnt any
lesson and as a result there is great unrest in its Sindh and Balochistan
provinces. In the ongoing 61st session of UNCHR at Geneva, a number
of Kashmiri nationalists and Human Rights organisations drew the
attention of the chairperson of Human Rights Commission to the plight
of the suffering masses in Sindh, Balochistan, POK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Mr Qadir Bux Jatoi of the World
Peace Council said that Sindh and Balochistan though are richly endowed
with natural resources, the people are deprived of their due rights.
Sindh and Balochistan together contribute 70 per cent of Pakistan's
GDP, but the lion's share goes to the Punjab province. Poverty ratio
in Sindh is 53 per cent and that of Balochistan 54 per cent. Their
social structure is being attacked and the fundamentalist forces
are trying to pollute their cultural values. According to a study,
in every two hours a woman is raped in Pakistan. Women and minorities
are the worst sufferers.
Speaker after speaker accused the
Government of Pakistan of gross human rights violation in POK and
Northern Areas. Most of them ridiculed the country's "concern" for
human rights violation in J&K. According to them, the Pakistani
rulers have no moral right to blame India as they have deprived the
people of POK of their basic rights. A candidate willing to fight
an election in POK has to submit an undertaking that he advocates
Kashmir's accession to Pakistan. There is no employment for local
youths. Not a single Kashmiri is employed in any POK branch of Pakistani
banks.
The plight of the people of Gilgit
and Baltistan is at its worst. They have no political rights at all.
They are governed by officials nominated by the federal government.
Outsiders have usurped business and government jobs while the local
people are being treated as slaves. Most of the speakers highlighted
the fact that Pakistan seems to be a failed state. Sardar Shaukat
Alt Kashmiri, Chairman of the United Kashmir Peoples' National Party
(UKPNP), said in his intervention: "Pakistan's claim of championing
the cause of self-determination for the people of Kashmir is nothing
but hollow and self-serving propaganda. These claims will have no
meaning as long as Pakistan continues to deprive the people of Azad
Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan the opportunity to freely determine
their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural
development which is the essence of self-determination."
Quoting Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan recent report, Mr M Mumtaz Khan of the European Union
of Public Relations said that fundamental rights of POK residents
are being violated at different levels and that its autonomy is threatened
by the contentious surveillance of intelligence agencies and intervention
of the Pakistani Government. He alleged that PoK citizens were concerned
about the discrimination against the advocates of independent Kashmir,
limitations of Government's autonomy, poor development, weakness
in law enforcement and judicial process, lack of safeguards to women
and children, denial of fundamental and political rights and basic
education and health needs.
He further said that the denial
of civil, political, economic and social rights has caused growing
political unrest and demanded the restoration of basic rights in
the Northern Areas, where the Government has unleashed repression
against the nationalists. Piped water supply is non-existent; even
the main cities of Gilgit and Skardu do not have proper supply of
drinking water. According to latest reports, at least 14 people have
been killed, six of them were burnt alive, and dozens were injured
in the latest sectarian clashes in Gilgit. These are the official
figures. But according to media reports, the figures are much higher.
Riots took place after security forces started house to house search
in Gilgit and Skardu.
The situation is also tense in Muzaffarabad
where a group of former militants, who had gone to POK a decade ago,
staged a demonstration to press for the release of their detained
colleagues. At least 50 Jammu & Kashmir United Real Movement
activists (J&KURM) were taken into custody on April 6, a day
before the launch of the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service. These
militants had requested the POK Government that they should be allowed
to use the bus to go back to their homes in Jammu & Kashmir.
However, the authorities arrested them.
The Pakistani Government was worried
that if it staged a demonstration at the site of the bus terminus,
it would be an embarrassment for the Government. The group has been
an enthusiastic supporter of the bus service. Prominent leaders who
have been arrested include Hanif Hyderi, Sohail Dar and Jamil Mirza.
They have all been shifted to the Muzaffarabad Central Jail, where
they are being subjected to torture.
