Many of our readers have requested us to share the list of demands of the Awami Action Committee which has been protesting in the Gilgit-Baltistan region for 12 days.
The Awami Action Committee had published a pamphlet in which the demands of the 23-member alliance had been written.
The demands are;
1- Restore the price of wheat to 820 rupees per 100 kilogram, as in 2009
2- Immediate restoration of subsidies on oil, PIA fares and other items
3- Abolition of fees being charged in the hospitals and free provision of medicines
4- Lifting of ban on transportation of minerals and bringing an end to provision of mining lease to non-local companies
5- Acceptance of the demands of the people affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam
6- Bringing an end to illegal hiring in various departments and filling the vacant positions on merit
7- Bringing an end to the load-shedding
8- Withdrawing all taxes from Gilgit-Baltistan based on the principles of “No Taxation without Representation”
9- Resolving the border disputes and protecting the borders of Gilgit-Baltistan
Other popular demands have been opening of Skardu-Kargil, Shontar (Azad Kashmir), Ishkoman-Tajikistan and other international roads to facilitate trade and exchange.
