Friday: GBLA to hold in-camera session on law and order situation
PT Report
Gilgit, February 22: The Gilgit – Baltistan Legislative Assembly has decided to conduct an in-camera (private, not open to press and public) session on the issue of law and order in Gilgit city.
The suggestion was put forward by MLA Deedar Ali, and backed by Maulana Sarwar Shah. Two members, including MLA Nawaz Naji, opposed the idea, demanding an open session, accessible to the general public. The Law Minister, Wazir Shakeel, however, said that leaking information to the masses will be premature and detrimental for the peace strategy.
Gilgit city has been plagued by violence for the last two decades, leading to the death of hundreds of people, mostly belonging to the Sunni and Shia communities. On several occasions legislators and government officials have hinted towards involvement of “foreign hands” in the turmoil, without giving any specific details.
Majority of independent analysts, however, believe that due to lack of justice in the region people have been taking the law into their own hands and majority of people die in tit-for-tat killings, which may not be necessarily sectarian in nature.
Whether the in-camera session will bring anything good or not might be learnt on Friday, when the legislators sit to deliberate on the issue.
