Analysts predict the current government's days may be numbered.
However, there were conflicting reports that Shia activists had called off their sit-in for two days.
The meeting had been convened to address a week-long protest by members of the Shia community over the arrest of around two dozen activists for staging a religious event at a school in Danyor. The activists were arrested because they violated a ban on holding religious events inside educational institutions.
Following the arrests, some religio-political activists along with members of Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) staged protests outside the degree colleges in Gilgit and Danyor, briefly blocking the Karakoram Highway. While police initially dispersed these protesters, they returned later after some more members of both the Shia and Sunni sects were arrested. Activists have been staging a sit-in on the KKH near the degree college in Danyor for a week demanding release of their fellow activists, though traffic has been flowing through an alternative route.
Sunday’s meeting, announced a day earlier by senior government officials during a press conference, was scheduled to start at 10am but only got under way at 3:30pm.
However, as a number of participants from different parts of Baltistan did not make it to the meeting, authorities were forced to put it off till today (Monday).
“Three members from Baltistan, including the PPC head Fida Nashad, Iqbal Hassan and Akbar Taban, did not show up,” Adviser to the Chief Minister Abid Baig told The Express Tribune.
“As a result we suspended the meeting,” he added.
Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman was left red-faced over the absence of these three members. Irate, Rehman had called them and asked them to ensure their attendance on Monday, Baig added.
The PPC is a committee consisting of lawmakers headed by speaker Nashad. It had been tasked to settle the stand-off between Shia activists and the government on holding a religious event in a school.
Meanwhile, Shia clerics in the city were holding their own meeting about the protest and any subsequent negotiations. There were conflicting reports that the sit-in in Danyor had been called off for two days in light of the impending meeting with the government.
Earlier on Saturday, several senior government officials, including Minister for Works Dr Muhammad Iqbal, Law Sectary Aurangzeb Khan, Adviser to the Chief Minister Abid Baig, and Farooq Mir had addressed a news conference at the Gilgit Press Club where they had expressed concern over the closure of the KKH.
They had also expressed reluctance over taking administrative action against the protesters.
Gilgit-Baltistan has suffered some of the worst sectarian violence in the country. The protests have once again brought sectarian tensions back to the valley.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2016.
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