Pakistan

Gilgit-Baltistan: Crackdown against radical elements

Unusual movement of law-enforcement agencies detected in violence-prone areas

Shahbbir Mir June 23, 2011

GILGIT:

Security agencies have finalised a strategy to launch a crackdown on religious radicals in Gilgit-Baltistan, sources told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

“The modalities have been finalised. It is only a matter of time before a crackdown is initiated against religious extremists,” an official, on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, witnesses claimed to observe unusual movement of security forces in districts where sectarian violence is endemic and various incidents had occurred earlier this year.

Following the worst sectarian crisis in 2005, the government had jailed six clerics for inciting violence. However, they were released almost a year later in 2006.

The clerics’ activities had been strictly monitored by security agencies, the official said, adding that action was being taken to encourage sectarian harmony. Furthermore, a deweaponisation drive would also be launched in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2011.

COMMENTS (4)

Israra Hussain | 13 years ago | Reply A sheer lie. The report has not mentioned that what was the immediate cause of the arrests of the clerics. The fact which the writer concealed is that Punjab Rangers had tortured a student and then opened fire fire on the protesters the following day. The bureaucratic administration then imposed curfew and arrested clerics from different sects without any charges. It was a tactic to further aggravate the situation by the bureaucracy to hold grip on the affairs of GB. Those clerics were held in Adiala Jail for more than one month without charges. The writer should tell the complete story.

Aftab | 13 years ago | Reply "Following the worst sectarian crisis in 2005, the government had jailed six clerics for inciting violence. However, they were released almost a year later in 2006." That is nonsense. Why don't we just send them into "their" heavens immediately after capturing them?

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