Gilgit-Baltistan Government Launches Sweeping Crackdown on Nationalist and Progressive Groups
Gilgit/Hunza/Skardu: The Gilgit-Baltistan government has launched a sweeping crackdown against nationalist and socialist groups in the region, filing multiple cases against dozens of individuals on various charges.
In a forceful address to the regional assembly, Chief Minister Gulbar Khan stated that those who “speak against the state of Pakistan or its armed forces should be hanged.” He warned that while the government had previously “adopted a lenient stance” toward nationalist and socialist groups, this approach would now change.
Echoing this hardline stance, the region’s Interior Minister, Shams Lone, pledged to “punish” those he described as the “enemies of Pakistan”, a pointed reference to activists and political groups demanding greater autonomy and control over local resources.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information, Eiman Shah also lashed out against the dissenters, suggesting that they have the “option to move to India and live under’s Modi’s rule”. He also highlighted the plight of Muslims in India under the Modi government where violence against Muslims on religious grounds has become a routine.
On the other hand, in recent days, several prominent political activists and leaders have been detained, with many more charged for protesting these arrests, in differetn parts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
First Information Reports (FIR) were filed in Aliabad (Hunza) and Jutial (Gilgit) on 15th of May, where groups of people had gathered to demand the release of Awami Action Committee leader Ehsan Ali Advocate, Engineer Mehboob Wali, Masoodur Rehman, Waheedul Hasan, Asghar Shah, Ibrar Bagoro and others.
The crackdown began shortly after escalating Pakistan-India tensions, during which Pakistan carried out defensive strikes in response to Indian aggression, in the wake of the massacre of 25 tourists in Pehelgam area of Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
The Awami Action Committee had been actively mobilizing the public to convene a “Qaumi Jirga,” inviting representatives from across Gilgit-Baltistan to discuss the region’s fundamental issues, including land ownership and control over natural resources. This push comes amid growing concerns over a proposed bill in the GB Assembly related to mines and minerals, which many residents fear could strip them of the ownership of the region’s natural wealth and harm the local environment.
