Eleventh day of protest: Protesters demand release of boundary report

Tribes from Gilgit-Baltistan, Kohistan fix January 1, 2016, as last day of ceasefire

KOHISTAN:

Landowners in Kohistan continued their protest for the eleventh consecutive day on Wednesday over delays in making the Basri Boundary Commission Report public. They urged the government to settle the boundary dispute between Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan once and for all.

The villagers from Harban Basha, Harban Sazain, Shetiyal, Somar Nala and Bhasha started their protest by setting up a camp alongside Karakoram Highway near Basri Das.  As part of the protest, they blocked the road for two hours daily. They suspended traffic passing through the only land route between Gilgit-Baltistan and the rest of the country.



An official of Harband police station said the protesters blocked the highway at around 10am and shouted slogans against the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the federal government. The roadblocks compelled the transporters and passengers to wait for hours in long queues.

Meanwhile, Kohistan Deputy Commissioner Raja Fazl-e-Khaliq and DPO Ali Rehmat have assured the protesters they would contact authorities and will carry out efforts to resolve the issue.

Doubting the govt

Talking to The Express Tribune over the telephone from Harband Nala, Qaumi Watan Party Kohistan General Secretary Asadullah Qureshi said the federal government is deliberately spoiling the peaceful atmosphere of the area by delaying the report of Basri Boundary Commission.

He added the report of single-member enquiry commission, led by Justice (retd) Tanvir, completed the report and submitted it to federal government on June 30, 2015, but was not made public. According to Qureshi, this indicates ill-intent on part of the government.

“The report is either in our favour or the inhabitants of G-B. The government must make it public,” he said.

Two or eight

Qureshi pointed out the actual dispute was over an area of two kilometres. However, the policies of WAPDA had extended it to over eight kilometres, which resulted in a dispute between tribes of Kohistan and G-B.

He said the dispute which escalated in March 2014 resulted in the death of six tribesmen, while several others were injured. However, Qureshi said, the matter was still not resolved, forcing Kohistan to protest. He said if their demands were not accepted, the tribes of Kohistan will extend the daily roadblock by 30 minutes.

More bloodshed feared

Haji Ghulamullah, another tribal elder, said following gunfire between tribes of both areas over land, a ceasefire agreement was reached till the time the report was made public. He said since the boundary commission has compiled its report and submitted it to the government, the tribes from G-B and Kohistan have fixed January 1, 2016, as the last day of ceasefire.

He feared after the deadline passes, people from both sides will take up arms again and claim the disputed area. “The situation could get worse,” Ghulamullah added.

PML-N MNA and parliamentary leader for industries from Kohistan, Sarzamin Khan, when contacted, endorsed the demands of the people of Kohistan. He feared any delay in sharing the boundary commission report could force the tribes from both sides to indulge in bloodshed.

Sarzamin stated he was trying to contact Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene so the report could be made public. He expected a breakthrough over the issue within the next couple of days.

When contacted, Hazara Commissioner Akbar Khan was not available for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2015.