Protests against wheat price hike intensify across G-B

Gilgit: The Awami Action Committee (AAC) of Gilgit-Baltistan has declared Plan B for its ongoing protest movement against a hike in the subsidised wheat prices and other demands, announcing a complete shutter-down and wheel jam strike across the region and long marches.

The Central Core Committee of AAC, led by Chief Organizer Ehsan Advocate, convened in Gilgit and decided to intensify the protest movement and proceed with Plan B after consultations with all districts and stakeholders.

Under the shutter-down strike, shops, markets, trade centres, hotels and other businesses will remain closed on January 26 and 27, creating a standstill in the area’s commercial activities. Transporters Association, Anjuman-e-Tajiran, and Driver Union have pledged complete support for the shutdown and wheel jam strike on January 26 and 27 throughout Gilgit-Baltistan.

On January 27, protestors from Yasin last village of Ghizer district and Aliabad district headquarters of Hunza will march towards regional capital Gilgit. A protest march that started from Hoper Valley, last village of Nagar on Tuesday and stayed at district headquarters Harspodas, blocking the Karakoram Highway, will continue their march on January 27. People from Diamer district will announce their plan for long march on Friday.

Meanwhile protest demonstrations and sit-ins continued at Yadgar-i-Shuhada, Skardu and Gari Bagh in Gilgit for the 31st consecutive day and on Thursday. The sit-ins will continue as usual. To ensure the success of Plan B, the AAC has formed coordination committees to mobilize the public through visits to various stakeholders and regions.

Charter of Demands

The demands outlined in the charter include fixing wheat subsidy rates to those of 2022, repealing the GB Finance Act of 2023 to abolish all taxes, ending the government’s forced acquisition policy of unpopulated and barren lands, granting industry status to hotels and transport to promote tourism industry, revoking leases given to major non-local companies and individuals on various mineral resources and issuing all mining leases in the name of local population, abolishing the existing administrative order, the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2018, and replacing it with a constitutional assembly empowered by the constitution, and establishing engineering and medical colleges in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Gilgit-Baltistan Council members to move SC

A delegation of elected members of Gilgit-Baltistan Council called on President Dr. Arif Alvi at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday.  In a press conference after the meeting, Gilgit-Baltistan Council members stated that they have demanded from the Government of Pakistan to address the grievances of thousands of people protesting against the hike in wheat prices on the roads during the cold weather in Gilgit-Baltistan.

They urged the federal government to allocate Rs 15 billion for wheat subsidy in Gilgit-Baltistan and issue directives to the GB government to revert wheat prices to previous rates.

The council members questioned the disparity in subsidies, highlighting that while Punjab receives Rs 80 billion subsidy for the metro bus, Gilgit-Baltistan is allocated a mere Rs 6 billion. They expressed disappointment over the lack of serious consideration given to the ongoing protests in Gilgit-Baltistan for the past month, emphasizing that protests continue across the province.

The council members emphasized the need for immediate action by both the federal and provincial governments to resolve the wheat subsidy issue and financial crisis in Gilgit-Baltistan. They vowed to fight for Gilgit-Baltistan’s rights and financial stability through legal means, including filing a case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and lobbying for a Rs 15 billion allocation for Gilgit-Baltistan.

They also disclosed that the federal government has assured the release of 1.5 million sacks of wheat for Gilgit-Baltistan by June and ongoing efforts for financial agreements with Gilgit-Baltistan. Additionally, they urged the regional government to effectively represent Gilgit-Baltistan’s financial case in the center and strive for a better solution to the wheat subsidy issue.

In light of the current situation, the council members reiterated their commitment to addressing Gilgit-Baltistan’s issues through constructive dialogue and legal avenues, emphasizing the importance of active participation in federal-level discussions for a fair resolution.