Details of political victimisation in Gilgit Baltistan

1 November 2009

The 'Home Department' of Gilgit-Baltistan expelled Col. Wajahat Hasan Mirza (Chairperson: APNA – All Parties National Alliance) and his young brother Col. (R) Nadir Hasan Mirza of Gilgit-Baltistan Thinkers Forum. Both were sent to Islamabad on a PIA flight.


26 April 2010

Pakistani authorities arrested political activists from Gilgit city. Amongst those arrested included activists from both Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) - the term used for Pakistani occupied Kashmir (whose main cities are Muzaffarabad and Mirpur). Many of them were forcefully exiled from Gilgit-Baltistan for a period of three months while some were detained in Gilgit district jail. Those who were driven out of their own homeland included Col. Wajahat Hassan Mirza (Chairperson: APNA – All Parties National Alliance), Col. (Rtd.) Nadir Mirza (Chairperson of Gilgit-Baltistan Thinkers Forum), Mr. Farooq Umar Advocate (Chairman: KNM - Karakoram National Movement), Shafqat Inqalabi of Balwaristan National Front (BNF), along with kashmiri guests Raja Mazhar Advocate, Sardar Saghir (Chairman: JKLF - Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front - Amanullah group), Professor Abdul Razzaq Khan Khalique (Spokesman for APNA), Arif Shahid (Secretary General: National Liberation Front – now Chairman of renamed JKNLC – C for Conference), Sabir Kashmiri (Senior Vice-chairman of JKLF - Rauf Kashmiri group), Farooq Niazi (human rights activist) and Mehmood Baig (former President of NSF - National Students Federation). Hotels and houses in Gilgit were raided by police around midnight without search warrants. Apart from Shafqat Inqalabi, all of those mentioned above were arrested and sent to Islamabad. Meanwhile, Shafqat Inqalabi was arrested and sent to JIT (Joint Investigation Team) Gilgit for 36 hours before being 'deported' (from his home territory) in a police van to Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.

22 March 2011

Nawaz Khan Naji, Yawar Ali, Manzoor and other BNF activists were arrested in Ghizar. Naji was bailed out after four days and his colleagues were released on bail by the civil court after twenty days of incarceration.

26 March 2011

Gilgit-Baltistan's Home Department made out an anti-state case against Tahir Ali Tahir of BNF under 124(a). They arrested him from Gahkuch and transferred him to district jail Ghizar from where he was bailed out by the Court Chief after spending two and a half months in prison.


5 August 2011
Pakistan's FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) confiscated travel documents of Shafqat Inqalabi at Lahore air port. His name had been put on Pakistan's notorious ECL (Exit Control List) by its' interior ministry, thus preventing him from travelling abroad to pursue an independent livelihood. The government of Pakistan through it's clandestine agencies had already destructed his construction business in AJK. He cannot even travel in Pakistan as his ID card was confiscated too. Shafqat continues to live as a prisoner in his own homeland.

Other recent examples of political victimisation:

- Engineer Manzoor Hussain Parwana (GBUM - Gilgit Baltistan United Movement) was arrested under ppc 121 and ppc 124(a) in Gilgit and imprisoned for a month before being bailed out a couple of days before last Eid.

- The Labour Party's Baba Jan was arrested by Police of Hunza-Nagar after public agitation in Hunza incident under anti-terrorism law and has been kept in jail for over a month now.

- Senior leftist leader Engineer Aman Ullah was also arrested and subsequently bailed out in Hunza recently.

The following: Shafqat Inqalabi, Manzoor Parwana and Baba Jaan are considered to be facing threats to their lives from Pakistan's clandestine agencies. Their families continue to bear incessant pressure from the latter.

Videos Posted by Abid Sardar: AJK CORRUPTION SCANDAL! [HQ]

Videos Posted by Abid Sardar: AJK CORRUPTION SCANDAL! [HQ]

KASHMIR TEXTBOOK BOARD

Kotli: 

Those believing in connecting the hearts and minds of people of forcibly divided land of Kashmir must be delighted that the Azad kashmir premier Sardar Attique Khan has issued a notification on setting up the Kashmir Text Book Board. The pro independence Kashmiri leader Quayyum Raja, who served about 22 years in prison for the Kashmir cause and who is now head of Diplomatic Mission of the Kashmir National Liberation Conference, had lodged a petition to the Azad kashmir High Court about 2 years ago. Mr. Raja siad in his petition that Kashmiri children had the right to study their history, which had been deplorably removed from the text books taught in so called Azad kashmir. He termed this policy of the Pakistani and AK regimes as "Educational Vandalism."  

The then High court Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Nawaz Khan approved the petition. Initially, the AK government defended its policy on the flimiest grounds that it did not have experts and resources for the formation of Kashmir Text Book Board. The petitioner Raja argued that it was an insult to say that Kashmir did not have educated people, who could do the job, while there were enough resources, but not the will on part of the government.  Quayyum Raja threatened the government for taking it to the Accountability Bureau to finding out where its officials and ministers got all the properties from and if they could not prove it as their legal earning, it should be taken away from them and spent on social, political and educational reforms.  Eventually, the AK regime gave up and issued the notification.

 

Commenting on the notification, the delighted Quayyum Raja siad in a press conference in Khuiratta that when he filed the petition, many people said it was a good idea, but impossible to get anywhere. He said our people have been fed with defeatism and therefore everything appear impossible to them. Raja said the government must immediately set up a Committe of experts, who should complete the process. He said he would not withdraw his petition until the history classes have commenced. 

 

Quayyum Raja has launched another campaign for (1) stopping civil servants and politicians to attending weddings on public expense, (2) abandoning criminal investigation at the expense of victims. Such cruel things do not happen anywhere else. He appealed all people believing in justice and fairness to support him both politically and financially. He said he fought so far on his own and since he spent most of his adult life in prison, he did not have enough resources to fight such a just cause alone.

 

Journalist Shaukat Kokhar while commenting on the notification of Kashmir Text Book Board, said, Quayyum Raja's success has shown that if you know and follow the process, you can win. This is a good message and example.   

Corruption and Mistreatment in Baltistan

An issue and example of vandalism by a corrupt gang within the Education Department of Gilgit Baltistan, under patronage of the Provincial PPP Government and it's Leader of the House - Sayyed Mehdi Shah.


According to available data, more than 150 persons have been appointed as male and female teachers in the department without any advertisement, test/interview and DPC/DRC from backdates after getting 1.5 to 2 lacs as bribe from ineligible and non competent persons, in the education department. Moreover, hundreds of illegal promotions have been granted without observing seniority rules depriving hundreds of other teachers waiting for their due promotions.


All these illegal appointments and promotions are being carried out by a renowned corrupt  retired superintendent  namely Kacho Fayyaz Muhammad Khan, under the umbrella of Raja Muhammad Nasir, Director Education, Baltistan Region. It is strange and worth to mention that the office superintendent mentioned above was retired from his service after attaining 60 years of age in 2006. He got an illegal extension for one year during the Musharraf Govt for the first time in the history of Pakistan- as none of the clerical cadre service was extended/re-appointed in the history of our country. This person got another two year extension for second time- just for nothing except fetching money for himself and his higher authorities. During this tenure, he appointed many many ineligible persons like barbers, plumbers etc as teacher in exchange of heavy bribe. This year he got his third time extension as superintendent by approval of the PPP CM of Gilgit Baltistan. The opposition leader in the GB Legislative Assembly, Mr Basheer Ahmad Khan raised strong objection on the floor of house on 02-11-2010 against the CM order to extend third time extension in the services of the said retired Superintendent Kacho Fayyaz M. Khan of the education department. The opposition leader put a challenge in the house that he would tender his resignation from the GBLA membership if he fails to prove the huge corruption of the said corrupt superintendent.( Super lead news item of Daily Baade Shimal on Nov.3rd  2010)

A local college academic person, namely Muhammad Hassan Shad, (Asstt. Professor of the Department of  Mass Communication) who allegedly was highlighting the issue of mass level corruption in education department had been receiving life threats from the said gang was attacked by  some 5-6 persons in the broad daylight on 15-11-2010 at 2pm. This incident took place in the busy main bazaar of Skardu. The said professor sustained injuries and hospitalized for many days. The said corruption gang was so strong that they reportedly threatened surrounding shopkeepers not to become eye witness of the attack. The injured professor launched FIR nominating Kacho Fayyaz M Khan and Raja Muhammad Nasir, Director Education as the main instigator beside other five unknown attackers but after lapse of considerable time none of the accused were arrested as they have backing and support of the local PPP leaders. It is said that all the five attacking culprits have close relations with Kacho Fayyaz. The academia of more than 10 colleges of Gilgit Baltistan and thousands of students strongly protested against the culprits involved in the shameful incident. An English weekly of the region- Northern Times wrote an editorial in this context in its issue #16 vol #2  which is given below: “Violence on Nation Builder”


“Last week a regretful incident happened in main bazaar Skardu in which some criminals manhandled allegedly a Professor of Degree College Skardu owing to his ingenuous expositions about fake appointments and corruptions in education department skardu.The beaten professor has launched FIR against some officers and a contract
official of the education department but till filing of this story police has not taken any action against the said officers while on this issue in Skardu and Gilgit cities , GB college lecturers and students have protested and demanded for immediate action against those who involved in this gloomy incident. it is above to understand
that in our society tolerance and patients have ended. If some one pointed out social evils and corruption in government departments, people should appreciate this act and condemned these social evils, if show sympathy with the sinners then how we can remove social evils from society. If our liable authorities took no action against the culprits of the said incident, then people will compel to protest for justice. It is a gigantic incident that a nation builder beat in open market by the criminals due to expositions of someone’s malpractice. Unfortunately our police as usual are being shown its traditional behavior and yet did not take action against the culprits while some of our prominent personalities are trying to make a truce between the sinner and the innocent. If the exposition of corruption in government departments are crime then these kinds of crime will expose again and again, either the higher authorities took action or close their eyes against the responsible criminals and here we would like to say that, “Chali he rusm ki koi na sar utha ke chale”

The corruption gang has developed so strong that no one dares to open their mouth against their illegal action. They are trying to show the incident as a revenge of some students against whom the professor had allegedly registered unfair mean cases during SSC examinations some years ago, a lame excuse to justify the incident which the professor totally denies. The ongoing mass corruption is in its full swing and none is here to check the evil which eventually will damage future of our coming generations.


Dear sir, so, the helpless people of Baltistan Region, request you to, expose, highlight and condemn the deep-rooted corruption continued in the education department in Baltistan as well the heinous crime committed against a professor, through your  effective articles and columns. If the highest authorities of the country take any action to
curb the corruption of the education department, this will be an everlasting act of kindness to the trampled and unheard people of Baltistan Region of Gilgit Baltistan

Truly yours,

Professor A. Raza,
Senior Vice President,
Gilgit Baltistan Colleges Academic Staff Association,
Email: fgdc.skardu@gmail.com
           shigriskd@yahoo.com

Professor Mir Alam Khan,
President,
GBCASA , FG Degree College Skardu Unit.
Phone. 05815-960243