Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza
The general strike, which was observed on December 28, 2022, in Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) was jointly called by Gilgit-Baltistan Awami (Peoples) Action Committee and traders associations. It was a huge success.
Trade and transport in all major towns and cities across PoGB came to a standstill. Hundreds of thousands of people braved sub-zero temperatures to attended sit-ins, rallies and protests in Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu, Nagar, Shagar, Ghanche and many more.
Demands made during the public protests were clearly mentioned. They include end to private land grab by the government in the name of development without issuing compensation to the land owners, reversal of the revenue act, cancelation of all forms of added taxes on electricity tariff, end of cuts in wheat subsidies and loads shedding.
On the same day, a hand grenade was hurled into the residential compound of the deputy commissioner in Chalas in PoGB. No one was reported hurt. So far no one has claimed responsibility of this act.
For decades the people of PoGB have been protesting against human rights violations, economic destitute and social injustices. The government of Pakistan has used means and taken measures to divide the public dissent by way of sabotage.
The have propped up a puppet local assembly in PoGB with no legislative powers at all. A non-resident chief secretary runs the affairs of PoGB like an Ottoman Sultan. The top police officials and the judiciary is approved by the prime minister of Pakistan. And then there is the Pakistan military at the top overlooking the functions of the occupation.
Secondly, there are laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act which is used to make dissidents shut up or end up facing an anti-terrorism court and if found guilty, which the judge makes sure that one will, then ones' passport and identity card are cancelled, you are either sent to prison of deprived of your freedom to travel beyond your town, city or village without the permission of the local police of the deputy commissioner.
Thirdly, a sectarian fault line is used to drown any 'anti-state' (read Pakistani occupation) narrative into a Shia-Sunni religious (read communal) conflict and mullahs are set free from their hujras (the room where the mullah sleeps) to issue hypocritical sermons of communal harmony and blame the miscreants for inciting violence. Therefore, downgrading revolutionary active to a mere communal act of rage.
And finally, a trump card comes into play to add a sense of deep insecurity in the masses. This card is what I call the 'India' card.
Any dissident who questions the legitimacy of an illegal act of political, economic or social nature engineered by the Pakistan government against the people of PoGB is tarnish with the label of being an Indian agent/spy.
To accuse someone of being an Indian agentspy gives the state of Pakistan an excuse to use the provisions of espionage and treason, and a) publically defame the dissident or a civil society protest movement, and, b) it gives the state unlimited powers to crush the person or the movement in the name of national security concerns.
Therefore, despite and in spite of all the crushing mechanics applied by the state of Pakistan to keep occupation of PoGB under tight control, my people have not let a single opportunity go waste when they could demonstrate despise and abhorrence for their occupiers.
It is amazing to see the resilience of the people of PoGB who have no food, no water, no electricity, no medicine available in hospitals, no class rooms for young children, no maternity facilities for our women folk, no roads to connect our remote villages to towns and cities, no proper bridges to cross raging winter rivers, no jobs, no pensions and most of the time no wages, yet they refuse to succumb to the brutal oppression conducted by the Pakistan state and its military establishment.
The people of PoGB are suffering from double colonial oppression. Pakistan, occupied Gilgit-Baltistan on October 31, 1947. China's economic expansion toward the hot waters of the Indian ocean has led her to occupy PoGB in collaboration with the Pakistani state.
Recently, Pakistan has deployed near to a thousand security personal for 430 Chinese technicians, engineers and labourers working on various imperialist economic projects in PoGB.
As the economic encroachment of Chinese capital makes itsway into PoGB and Pakistan imposes illegal taxes and deprives my people of basic necessities of life, the general strike that was observed on December 28 once again demonstrates our willingness to fight injustice and oppression.
( is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK.)
Source: IANS
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