“We are not against Pakistan, Paksitan is against us” Haider Shah Rizvi

by Muiz Gojali

Karachi, September 17: ‘Our ancestors unconditionally acceded to Pakistan, after freeing the area of Gilgit – Baltistan from Dogra Raj. The policies of Pakistan have alienated us. We are not against Pakistan, Pakistan is against us’. These views were expressed by a leader of the Balawaristan National Front, Syed Haider Shah Rizvi, while addressing the media at Karachi press club.

Responding to a question about an allegation that BNF is struggling for establishing a sectarian Ismaili state in the region, Rizvi said that his party has leaders and activists belonging to all schools of thought, Shia, Sunni, Ismaili, Noor Bakhshis, as well as progressive idealists, so it is incorrect and malicious to associate BNF with sectarian ideologies. In the past he has rejected the existence of such a movement, terming it a conspiracy theory setup by the agencies  to further divide people of the region on sectarian lines. He has said that through such propagandas unity of the region is being targeted by vested interests.

He termed the currently announced political package “an imposed package”, thus “unconstitutional, non democratic and extreme negation of UN resolutions”. He said that Gilgit – Baltistan has been ‘pushed further into the slavery of Islamabad, through delegation of all authorities to the Governor’.

He said that the revenue system proposed under the package is a technical conspiracy to control natural resources of the region, including land, air, forest and water resources. 

Rizvi belongs to Kharmang region of Baltistan. He is also popularly known as “Pir of Balawaristan”.