PRESS RELEASE
Brussels: Feb. 23rd 2008
Balawaristan National Front (BNF) Congratulates the
people of Pakistan for their struggle to achieve their
democratic rights. We also congratulate the winning
parties and their leaders such as Mr. Nawaz Sharif
PML(N), Mr. Asif Ali Zardari PPP, Mr. Isfandyar Wali
ANP and others. Hoping, that, this would be a
decisive step of Pakistan's State and Society to
distance from authoritarianism, religious bigotry,
terrorism, narrow mindedness and intolerance. There is
no substitute of democracy, rule of law in today's
world for peace, progress and prosperity.
We hope that now it is the time to end state terrorism
by covert activities of ISI against political
opponents, human rights and other members of civil
society. We also hope that new government would give
priority to address the national and minority rights
demands in Pakistan.
We, on behalf of 2 million people of Occupied Gilgit
Baltistan have always been demanding for an
independent Judiciary in Pakistan and admire the Chief
Justice of Pakistan Mr. Iftikhar Choudhry for his
heroic stand against military regime specially the
case of kidnapping people by military intelligence
agency the ISI.
We hope that the new government would restore not only
the Judges but also look into the case of disappeared
people and those who had opposed Military Rule, have
been sent behind bars would be released and punish the
culprits. The new coming democratic government would
also look into police brutality against the civil
rights movement, lawyers community and others.
We also expect the new government to look into the
political movement of the people of the Balawaristan
(Gilgit Baltistan) spearheaded by BNF and the, most
deprived part of the J&K. The new government must
know that the Pakistan Army has been converting
children schools and private buildings in to the
detention centres in Gilgit. There are hundreds of
our innocent people who were kept in these centres
without trial and many were killed with impunity by
the orders of dictator Musharraf in the past.
This statement issued by Abdul Hamid Khan, exiled
Chairman of BNF from Brussels after about 10 years of
his missing from Gilgit Baltistan, due to threat of
ISI to his life because of his letter to UNSC in
1998.
We the 2 million people believe that the next coming
Democratic government of Pakistan would lift 60 years
long Martial Law from Gilgit Baltistan and withdraw
Pakistani forces whose task is to facilitate its
secret agencies to wax the rights of the local
indigenous people by terrorism and by keeping alive
sectarianism in the region.
To achieve peaceful democratic system for Pakistan and
settle the grave Political and Human Rights issues in
Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistani Forces and it's
intelligence agencies should be called back. These
are the forces which killed more than 3000 NLI
soldiers by sending them to Kargil in 1999 as
mercenaries by terming them as Mujahideen. Dozens of
our soldiers were buried when Musharraf denied to take
their dead bodies back from Kargil heights.
We demand that the right of representation of the
people should be respected and Constitutional Assembly
should be established, so the people could run their
own affairs without interference of Pakistan Army and
it's intelligence agency.
An independent High Court and Supreme Court should
be established in Gilgit Baltistan, where indigenous
people should be given the right to appeal and writ
against Human Rights violations. Judges should be
appointed from the local Lawyers on the basis of
ability not on Political or religious basis as it was
been practising in the past.
Instead of creating sectarian dispute intentionally, a
common syllabus should be re-introduced in the Schools
as were before 1970's.
State Subject Rule should be re-enforced in the area
like in J&K and trespassers should be punished. Those
who violate State Subject Rules and allotted plots and
areas to Pakistani nationals should be cancelled.
Those who have been sent to Gilgit Baltistan on
deputation by depriving the local deserving employees,
should be withdrawn from Administration, Police,
Education and other government departments.
Custom duties and taxes which are being levied from
the local people should be stopped, because no tax
without representation is internationally recognised
law.
The ownership of the people of Gilgit Baltistan and
the effected people should be accepted before
construction of Diamar or any other dam.
We demand the false sedition charges (which are
highest in number in the world) against the
nationalist Political leaders and workers should be
withdrawn, who are facing the agony of such cases
since 1997 in Gakoch, Gilgit and Skardu courts, in
spite of the fact that this is a disputed part of J&K
and Pakistan has no Constitutional Jurisdiction to
impose sedition charges. Secondly these people did not
involve in any armed struggle. The culture to curb
peaceful democratic struggle and to promote
sectarianism and terrorism by Military dictatorship,
which has brought bad name to Pakistan in the world
should be ended.
Those 15 NLI soldiers of 14 NLI Regiment, who have
been sent behind bars and given other punishments in
Gujranwala cantonments by General Musharraf regime,
because they commit crime of Eid Prayer according to
Shia Muslim faith, should be restored and the culprits
should be given punishment.
Abdul Hamid Khan
Chairman
Balawaristan National Front (BNF)
Head Off: Majini Mahla, Gilgit, Balawaristan
(Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan)
Brussels, Ph: 0032 22311750
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