Pakistan finds itself surrounded by conflicts. Following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India retaliated decisively. Meanwhile, on Sunday, residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) staged protests against the Pakistani army and government. They warned that any attempts to seize their land would result in their graveyards being built on these very mountains.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, people have taken to the streets to contest the Pakistani government's misuse of mineral rights, land, and electricity shortages. Widespread demonstrations occurred in the Shigar district.
'Our Resources, Our Rights' - The Voice of Shigar
Hundreds of protestors in Shigar chanted that repeated seizures are unacceptable. They accused the Pakistani government of aiming to usurp local property without consent.
Organized by the K2 Action Committee, the protest welcomed participants from Tisser, Basho, Hyderabad, Dasu, and neighboring areas. Protestors carried banners proclaiming the local ownership of natural resources must be honored and preserved.
Locals feared that new legislation on minerals posed a threat to their livelihoods. They demanded the inclusion of community opinion in policy-making, denouncing the current mining strategy.
Defiant Stance: 'Nothing Without Permission'
During the rally, speakers stressed that the mountains, rivers, and minerals belong to the local community and cannot be forcefully appropriated. They asserted readiness to strongly oppose any coercive impositions by the government.
Cleric's Fierce Attack
Agha Syed Ali Rizvi, the head of the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen and a prominent Shia cleric, criticized the Pakistani government, highlighting that all of Gilgit-Baltistan's resources belong to its people. Rizvi challenged that if Pakistan seeks to repay its debts, become rich, or require stones, it must seek consent from every child of Shigar.
We will repay Pakistan's dues for you. But if you come to seize forcefully, we swear by God we will build your graveyard on these mountains.
