Wheat crisis: opposition requisitions G-B Assembly session

GILGIT: As the wheat crisis intensifies and public discontent grows, the joint opposition has requisitioned an emergency session of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, demanding immediate attention to the escalating wheat and financial crisis in the region.

The joint opposition has submitted the requisition seeking the assembly session on January 11. Opposition leader in the G-B Assembly, Measum Kazim, while talking to Hum News English criticized both the GB and federal governments for their failure to address the pressing issue facing the region. Kazim asserted that Gilgit-Baltistan does not appear to be a priority for the federal government.

“The federal government has time to victimize a political party but has no time to address the issues of Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said.

He further highlighted the dire financial crisis that Gilgit-Baltistan is currently grappling with, stating, “Gilgit-Baltistan has never faced such a severe financial crunch in the last 75 years as it is facing today.” Despite these challenges, Kazim lamented that neither the Prime Minister nor the federal government has reached out to the GB government to provide much-needed assistance.

In light of the current situation, Kazim emphasized the need to collaborate with the GB government to counteract discrimination and neglect. He mentioned the possibility of organizing a sit-in protest in Islamabad, a press conference, or any other necessary action to draw attention to the rights of Gilgit-Baltistan.

“Furthermore, we aim to discuss the overall security situation in Gilgit-Baltistan,” added Kazim. He expressed concern about the presence of terrorists in the region while peaceful advocates for the region’s rights are “rewarded with Schedule 4”.

It is to mention here that currently, 27 individuals including rights activists of Gilgit-Baltistan have been declared Proscribed Persons under Schedule 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Despite peaceful protests taking place in GB, Kazim criticized the government’s heavy deployment of security forces, which, in his view, curtailed the freedom of expression and the right to voice grievances against government policies.

Meanwhile, the ongoing protests against the hike in wheat prices have gained momentum, with sit-ins continuing for the past 15 days in Gilgit-Baltistan. Demonstrations were reported in various districts, including Gilgit, Skardu, Kharmang, Hunza, Nagar, Astore, Ghanche, Ghizer, Shigar, and others.

Protestors have issued warnings of a potential march to Gilgit from all ten districts if their demands are not addressed promptly. They are also demanding an end to the imposition of taxes in the region, an end to power outages, and a resolution of a range of other issues.