“Land Reforms Act” Tabled in Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Amid Opposition Walkout and Activist Incarcerations
PT Report
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government on Monday tabled the much-anticipated Land Reforms Act in the regional assembly, triggering a dramatic walkout by opposition lawmakers and drawing criticism from nationalist and civil society leaders, many of whom are currently incarcerated.
Defending the bill, Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan stated that the legislation had undergone an extensive process of review and consultation. He said feedback from political parties, religious leaders, legal experts, and civil society representatives had been incorporated. Khan emphasized that the bill would abolish the centuries-old “Khalisa Sarkar” system, a colonial-era policy that declared vast stretches of land as state property, restoring ownership of barren lands to local communities.
“This act ends an oppressive policy enforced during the Dogra regime and reclaims our people’s rights over their ancestral lands,” said the Chief Minister. Several members of the treasury benches echoed his sentiments and voiced strong support for the bill.
However, the opposition was quick to express its dissent. Opposition Leader Kazim Mesum led the walkout, accusing the government of pursuing a”secret agenda”and bypassing meaningful consultation.
“The rivers, mountains, barren lands, and settlements belong to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. We will not let anyone take them away from the indigenous communities,” Mesum declared.
Nationalist leader Nawaz Khan Naji of the Balawaristan National Front also voiced his disapproval. Highlighting the region’s reliance on customary land ownership laws for centuries, he warned against the bill’s passage and urged the public to mobilize in resistance. “We must be prepared to sacrifice for the protection of our ancestral land,” he said.
The bill was presented while several key leaders of the Awami Action Committee, along with prominent political activists from nationalist and progressive circles, remain behind bars—raising concerns about political suppression and the timing of the legislation.
The controversial bill now awaits further debate and voting, but it has already sparked a fierce battle over land rights, ownership, and the future of governance in Gilgit-Baltistan.
