Heal Gilgit’s wounds

[Ray]

Heal Gilgit’s wounds

For peace to prevail in the northern areas, their constitutional

rights and the writ of law must be ensured

Ahsan Wali Khan

Gilgit bleeds again. This time, it started on January 8, 2005 with the attempted murder of a prominent religious leader, Agha Ziaudin Rizvi - he was injured while two of his bodyguards and an attacker were killed. His supporters, some of them armed, embarked on a violent rampage that killed twelve innocent people and damaged or burnt property worth millions, including dozens of private and public vehicles.

The government imposed curfew and called in the military to restore calm. An infantry unit was sent to reinforce the army division Force Command Northern Areas that was called in for this purpose, as there is no major unit stationed there. Gilgit’s top civil administration officials rushed back after the incident as they were all in Islamabad on one pretext or the other. Five senior-most police officers of the Northern Areas area were already suspended under National Accountability Bureau cases related to non-custom paid vehicles.

The situation is tense and there is a state of fear and panic in the area. The curfew has led to women and children being stranded at different places without any possibility of reaching their homes and families. The people’s woes are exacerbated by a shortage of food and fuel for cooking and heating in the harsh cold weather, while the sick have no way to get to a doctor or procure medicine.

By imposing curfew instead of going aggressively after the few lawbreakers, the government only adds to the misery of the innocent majority. This has become the usual way of governance. The administration should ensure the writ of law, instead of following a fruitless policy of appeasement. Miscreants and criminals need to know they will be nabbed and face trial and the victims appropriately compensated. The deadly experience of June 2004 should have pushed the administration to formulate contingency plans for such eventualities. Then too, curfew was imposed for seven consecutive days after bloody clashes over the issue of the Islamiat syllabus.

The government has failed to protect the life and property of its citizens. The military and civil administration must be held accountable and responsible heads should roll for not ensuring sufficient security. Investigations about the attackers and reasons behind the attempt on the life of Agha Ziauddin must yield results, and the murderers of each innocent victim of the January 8 incident apprehended. There needs to be an across the board crackdown against criminals, murderers and instigators. The dangerous phenomena of organized teenagers armed with lethal weapons killing people under the blanket provided by the mob needs to be rooted out by apprehending each one.

The history of the ongoing sectarian-related violence in the area dates back to the eighties. Thousands of innocent people have perished here since then, and property worth millions destroyed, but there is little documentation about the arrest and punishment of those responsible - thanks to the low priority accorded to the area by consecutive governments and the policy of sweeping serious issues under the carpet. The sensitivity of the sectarian issue in the area is well known yet no concrete steps are taken to prevent such incidents. This reflects the apathy of the administration that has become hostage to a few miscreants with vested interests.

Gilgit-Baltistan deserves a full-time potent government. The present chief executive, Minister for Kashmir Affair s and Northern Areas (KANA) cannot function from Islamabad. Executive powers must be transferred to locally elected representatives in Gilgit and a strong governor appointed for supervision of the area. There is no mention of Gilgit-Baltistan (Northern Areas) in the constitution of Pakistan or the interim constitution of AJK. The area is a classical example of constitutional neglect.

The Northern Area Legislative Council (NALC) elections culminated this past October without any real transfer of power to the elected members because the Minister for KANA remains the Chief Executive. The Northern Areas people are accorded the lowest priority in terms of constitutional as well as human rights. There is no sign of introducing even the local government system in the area. KANA continues to play the role of an obstructionist and enjoys undisputed monopoly over the area and its people. Despite a clear verdict by Supreme Court on the issue in 1999, the Northern Area people’s ever-increasing and legitimate demand for an interim constitutional status pending the settlement of Kashmir continues to fall on deaf ears.

The Gilgit tragedy needs a focused approach keeping the law and order situation strictly under control. For this, the administration needs to make an all-out effort to apprehend the murderers and plotters without discrimination. Simultaneously a comprehensive compensation package for the families of those killed and injured, and to whose property and vehicles have been damaged and/or burnt needs to be announced and paid immediately. The miseries of the people caught in the curfew needs to be minimized by relaxing the curfew to enable them to at least shop for their daily supplies and enable the stranded people to reach homes. Above all the government must enforce the writ of law to prevent such mishaps in the future.

The writer is a freelance contributer from the Northern Areas. Email: [email protected]

http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/ja...05/oped/o6.htm

It is very unfortunte that there is so much of armed discontent in Pakistan, apart from the usual sectarian violence, which has become passe.

Balochistan is on the boil and Gilgit is not too far behind.

I wonder whats up in Waziristhan. I read a report that more troops have been sent there and so at least that area will be peaceful, even if under duress.

Pakistan, at this juncture, cannot afford such sub national or sectarian violence. It is only dragging them down.

I am also sad that much that some Pakistani posters lead one to beleive all is well and democracy prevails in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and the Northern Territories, the Pakistan news gives a totally differnt picture.

I think, as Tarek continually harps, one must look into oneself.

Instead of wasting time on to whom Kashmir belongs, it is better to put our houses in order of whatever is the ground reality as Pakistan or India and then when things are in shape, give esoteric ideas a thought with sagacity and alacrity.

[Jay]

Security alert for Shia funeral


Police in Pakistan tightened security on Friday as minority Shias buried a
leading cleric killed in a suspected sectarian attack.

Agha Ziauddin died on Thursday, five days after he was gunned down in the northern city of Gilgit. Fifteen people died in violence that followed.

On Friday hundreds of Shias were held in protests in Islamabad and Lahore.

Pakistan has a long history of sectarian violence between majority Sunni and minority Shia Muslims.

Mourning period

The body of Agha Ziauddin was flown on Friday by helicopter from Rawalpindi, where he died of his wounds, to Gilgit, where he was buried late in the day.

Muslim tradition requires burial within 24 hours. A flight on Thursday was cancelled because of bad weather.

Curfews are in place in Gilgit and nearby Skardu. Troops have also been sent to the towns of Chilas and Nagar for a period of mourning called by Shia leaders.

Security was also tight in the southern port of Karachi - a flashpoint for many sectarian attacks - and in Islamabad.

Police in the capital fired tear gas and used batons to break up a protest by about 300 Shias on Friday.

There were hundreds of arrests there and in Lahore, where cars were destroyed and journalists attacked.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said one of Ziauddin's attackers was killed and five people have been arrested since Saturday's attack.

The authorities said only close family would be allowed at Friday's funeral.

However, Gilgit residents said about 1,500 people had tried to gather at the city's Shia mosque.


Appeal for calm

Doctors battled for three days at Rawalpindi's military hospital to save Ziauddin, carrying out operations to remove bullets from his head and neck.

But he succumbed to his injuries early on Thursday.

As news of his death reached his hometown, hundreds of Shia protesters took to the streets in Skardu and other towns.

The Northern Areas Minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, appealed for calm.

In recent years Pakistan has seen spiralling violence between Sunni and Shia groups. More than 4,000 people have died in the fighting since 1980.

Ziauddin had led a campaign for the past few years to have a separate Shia curriculum introduced for his community.

He was travelling by car to a mosque in the centre of Gilgit when the attack took place. He was shot twice.

Ziauddin's two armed guards were also killed in the shoot-out.

The BBC's Zaffar Abbas says that sectarian violence in the Northern Areas is often exacerbated because Shias and Sunnis are divided along tribal lines as well.

On Friday, the US embassy warned its citizens to avoid religious gatherings.

"All American citizens should avoid all mosques and areas where religious demonstrations are known to occur," the warning said.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4174129.stm

What on world is really happening outside Pakistani Punjab??

[Ray]

I feel sorry for the Shias who are from Northern Territories. They re in a mjority but they are treated so badly.

The Shia will always be second class. Well, lucky acutally. The Ahmediyyas are no class at all.

[Ray]

I think Aryan is originally from the Norther Territories and I think he is a Dhia.

His comments would be most educative.

I do hope he comes along and educates.

This is more so required since he said that all was well. This and another post in some other thread indicates that the Shias are having a real tough time even in Shia majority areas.

This is not fair.

And what has got me rather unhappy is that even Aga Khan's people have got the stick. And Aga Khan is a revered figure, even in India. Such a fine man and he and his followers are really docile people who mind their own affairs and readily give aid to all who are suffering. The high quality educational institution is another totally unlike a phenomenon in Islamic countries that his foundation does and promotes.

To bully his people is inhuman.