Outcry over G-B govt’s cut-rate leasing of rest houses, forests

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government is under fire for leasing 37 rest houses and forest sites to Green Pakistan Tourism Company, a subsidiary of the Pakistan army, at what critics are calling a “throwaway rate.”

The properties have been leased for a mere Rs0.8 million per month for 30 years. According to the G-B government, the move is intended to enhance revenue generation, which has sparked outrage among various groups.

The agreement includes 17 properties from the G-B Forest Department and 20 properties from the Communication and Works Department. The latter’s properties, spread over an extensive area of 100,000 square meters, are rented out for just Rs0.7 million per month.

The perceived undervaluation has led to widespread criticism from rights activists, religious parties, social media influencers, and civil society members, who have all denounced the agreement and threatened protests if the deal is not withdrawn. The leasing agreement, criticized for its perceived lack of transparency and inadequate financial terms, has sparked a broader debate about resource management and local rights in Gilgit-Baltistan.

In an interview with HUM News English, former Chief Minister Hafeez Hafeezur Rehman questioned the process followed for leasing out the properties. He stated that the agreement should have been presented to the G-B cabinet and then to the regional assembly before being finalised. Rehman claimed he was unaware of the development and was not consulted.

When asked about his party, PML-N, being part of the government and its ministers signing the agreement, Rehman responded that neither his party ministers nor anyone else had briefed him about the development. He questioned the conditions of the lease, the benefits for G-B, whether other firms could have made better proposals, the forum that approved the lease, and the role of public representatives. He emphasized the need for a public debate on this issue, highlighting G-B’s sensitivity. Rehman also insisted that the Chief Minister should have held a press conference, expressing objections to the process followed.

Rehman raised concerns about the enforcement of the agreement, questioning the forum for challenging any potential violations and emphasizing the need for mutual consent guarantees. Despite these concerns, he acknowledged that the guest houses were underutilized and primarily benefited the elite. He revealed that during his tenure, they had planned to privatize these guest houses by taking control of PTDC hotels under a motel company. However, the then PTI-led federal government did not hand over the PTDC hotels to the G-B government.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Abbas Mosvi also expressed strong apprehensions over the process followed in leasing the properties. He highlighted the example of land in Rama Astore, which was leased out for Rs 633 per kanal per month, stating that he was willing to pay Rs 6000 per kanal per month for that land. Mosvi warned that any attempts to lease out private land would face strong opposition and that they would not allow such actions to take place.

Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Gilgit-Baltistan chapter President Agha Ali Rizvi, issued a stern statement condemning leasing tourist sites and public lands under what he describes as an unconstitutional government. He emphasized that Gilgit-Baltistan was not the property of any entity and that its people were committed to protecting every inch of their land. Rizvi called on the public to prepare for protests and vowed that no conspiracy would be accepted.

Rizvi warned against encroachment on public tourist spots, stating that the people are ready to resist all forms of coercion and conspiracy. He urged that public concerns regarding government guest houses be addressed, suggesting that decisions about each guest house should be made through parliamentary debate rather than secret meetings.

During a press conference in Gilgit, the Das Khareem Supreme Council and community leaders strongly opposed the agreement. They referred to a 1993 agreement made during the designation of the Deosai plains as a National Park, which involved the G-B Forest and Wildlife Departments and the residents of Das Khareem. The leaders warned that any violation of this agreement, such as leasing even an inch of the Deosai land to any organization through a covert agreement, would result in the complete termination of the National Park agreement. They asserted that the Deosai plains belonged to Das Khareem, and no individual from Das Khareem would allow even an inch of land to be occupied by any entity.

They demanded an immediate halt to such illegal activities, warning that failure to do so would lead to intense protests not only at the Astore headquarters but also outside the Gilgit Legislative Assembly. They declared that the provincial government and related institutions would be held responsible for any ensuing unrest. The civil society of Gilgit-Baltistan residing in Karachi and Islamabad has called for protest demonstrations in front of the press clubs on Friday and Sunday, respectively.