Balawaristan National Front writes to UN, appeals to take control over Gilgit-Baltistan

Highlighting the atrocities of Pakistan on the people of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, Abdul Hamid Khan, the chairman of the Balawaristan National Front (BNF), on 20 September wrote to the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urging to take control over the disputed region.

Khan, in his letter, stated that Pakistan has turned the region into a 'Nazi-style Torture Camp', where the people have been deprived from their basic right to speech and justice and the one seeking them are put behind the bars by the Pakistani forces without any trail.

"The BNF appeals to the U.N. and the U.N.S.C. to take control over this disputed region, or, at least, ask Pakistan to give the cases of the political workers and other activists to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or any other impartial court for a fair trial," read the letter written by Khan.

Khan wrote that the people of the Gilgit-Baltistan region are witnessing a 'New Definition of Terrorism' in which they are being falsely framed under the controversial anti-terrorist act.

Elaborating the situation, Khan wrote that the real terrorists, killing innocent people and creating violence in the region, are left free and have not been brought to justice to the day.

"Political activists, religious persons and students of Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), who do not comply with occupation regime's dictation have been framed under the controversial anti-terrorist act and Schedule 4," read the letter.

"On the other hand, the real terrorists, who actually kill innocent civilians by bombing shrines, highways, and other places of peaceful social gatherings, roam freely despite video evidences and eye-witnesses," it added.

Khan revealed that the anti-terrorism law is not imposed on the one killing indigenous people or against the one posing a threat to the humanity. "But it is being imposed on the one seeking help and raising voice against any injustice, or writes letters to the UN, or ask for their right given by UN as per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," he added.

"In spite of no presence of any U.N. declared terrorist organisations here in the PoGB, more than a 150 people of the PoGB are facing Schedule 4 (a China-Pakistan draconian law). The Schedule 4 accused are subject to worst conditions than a prison. Whereby the accused persons are even barred horn dropping their own minor children at schools or taking them to a hospital for treatment," the letter explained.

The violation of these restrictions lands the people behind the bars without bail for years and those who disobey Pakistani orders by making peaceful demands for their rights are declared as terrorists, Khan said in his letter.

Further describing the terrible condition of the people of the region, Khan wrote that Pakistan has deployed its citizens in all the administration to deprive the indigenous employees from their due rights and to ensure its colonial control over the region.

"These Pakistani-deployed senior officials are prejudiced and have evil designs against the indigenous people, who bully and defer the fundamental rights of the people of the occupied Gilgit-Baltistan. On the other hand, Pakistan shamelessly keeps blowing the siren for self-determination for Jammu and Kashmir at almost every international forum where it is invited," the letter read.

Khan said that being the United Nations-declared disputed part of Jammu and Kashmir, they don't even have any access to free, fair judicial system and have no place to file an appeal/writ against the 'Pakistani allegations, slanders and atrocities.'

He added that the entire judicial system of Pakistan is subservient to the Pakistan Military and no judge dares to deliver any judgement on his own against the will of the Pakistan Military and its administration.

Khan alleged that the lives property and freedom of the people is under a serious threat due to Pakistan and China's joint conspiracy 'to strengthen their occupation under the grab of the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor)'

"Pakistani forces have choked legitimate voices and grabbed our lands to build cantonments and torture cells for the Pakistani and the Chinese forces and their intellgence agencies," the letter read.

Khan even recalled the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) of 1949 as per which Pakistan has no right to retain in this disputed land and had to withdraw within a period of three months, which they never did.

"After a lapse of 69 years of non-compliance, Pakistan has now virtually changed the whole demography and converted 72,000 sq km area of this U.N. declared disputed region into a Nazi-style torture camp," the letter read.

"The tyranny of Pakistan against the indigenous people is not only a flagrant violation of the UNCIP resolutions, but it also ridicules the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and even violates Pakistan's own constitution and the Supreme Court verdicts," it added.

As per the letter, BNF members including its editor-in-chief Daulal Jan has been put behind bars by imposing Schedule 4 and the anti-terrorist act.

They are facing false cases and they can either be hanged or kept in prison for life without giving the right to appeal in any fair, impartial and legal/constitutional High Court and Supreme Court.

"Many people including political workers and religious workers and leaders are facing death sentence in Gilgit and Chilas Jail and other areas without giving them the right to appeal in any legal/constitutional High Court or Supreme Court," the letter added. 

-ANI