GILGIT / ISLAMABAD: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan announced that the government had extended invitations to religious leaders from all over Pakistan to address a controversial matter that had stirred sectarian tensions in the region over the past week.
Gulbar Khan, alongside the law and home ministers at the CM Secretariat during a press conference, asserted that they would resolve the current uncertainty in the region within two days. He attributed the issue’s origin to a controversial speech delivered by Agha Baqir Alhussaini.
People in Diamer, incensed by his speech, obstructed the Karakoram Highway and insisted on the cleric’s arrest. Subsequently, the parliamentary committee of GB convened with religious leaders in Diamer to address the matter.
The CM reported that tensions flared up again in Gilgit when cleric Qazi Nisar Ahmed delivered a speech, almost undoing the nearly resolved situation. He emphasized that this was solely a sectarian issue devoid of any political implications.
The CM also revealed that the GB government had requested religious scholars from various parts of the country, who have arrived, to conduct meetings with local religious leaders in order to resolve the controversy.
He said, “We hope the religious scholars…will settle the issue in consultation with local religious leaders from both sects; we are hopeful.”
The clerics, including Moulana Tayyib Panjpiri, Moulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Allama Ziaullah Shah Bukhari, Allama Shabbir Meismi, Nasir Abbass Sherazi, Allama Arif Hussain Wahidi, Allama Hussain Akbar, and Allama M Iqbal Behesti, are involved in the resolution efforts.
Internet Services Restoration and Police Actions in GB
Concerning the suspension of internet services, the CM declared that they would reinstate 4G internet services in the region one week after resolving the issue.Home Minister Shams Lone disclosed that the government had suspended 13 police officials for posting controversial content on social media, and efforts were underway to apprehend the individual responsible for uploading the video.
Mr. Lone added that the GB police had filed 15 FIRs against religious leaders for violating the law-and-order situation. He noted that the uncertainty caused economic repercussions in the region, particularly affecting tourism, small traders, and transporters. The minister, without presenting evidence, labeled this turmoil as part of a conspiracy against CPEC and the Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
Students rally for peace
On Monday, a significant number of students took to the streets to rally for peace in the region. The purpose of the demonstration was to counter any “misconceptions” about GB and to underscore its status as a “peaceful and harmonious place, free from sectarian tensions.” The participants, as they marched through various roads, eventually reached the Chief Secretary House in the Civil Secretariat.
The participants expressed their need for peace, fearing that the quality of their education would be compromised if the region’s law and order situation deteriorated. They collectively passed a resolution affirming that they had “organized a powerful rally to demonstrate their commitment to preserving peace in GB and fostering a culture of care and love.”
The resolution emphasized the students’ clear and strong message that “education is above all, and to attain it, they require a peaceful environment and assure their level of support to maintain peace and harmony in GB”.
As per the resolution, the participants firmly denied. “misinformation and highlighted that GB is a region free from sectarian tensions and conflicts”.
