President salutes heroes who liberated G-B

GILGIT:

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday joined the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in marking the region's 78th Independence Day, paying glowing tribute to the heroes who liberated G-B from Dogra rule and reaffirming the government's resolve to turn the region into a model of development, justice and equality.

Addressing the central ceremony held at the Army Helipad Ground in Gilgit, President Zardari lauded the people of G-B for standing shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Pakistan for more than seven decades, safeguarding its borders and carrying the national flag to the world's highest peaks.

"This region is not only the crown of Pakistan but also our northern gateway, a symbol of lasting friendship with China," he said.

He said the Karakoram Highway stands as a living testament to that friendship, while the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has brought new avenues for trade, livelihoods and connectivity throughout the region.

The president emphasised that ensuring the fruits of development reach every valley and village must remain a shared national goal, fostering prosperity for all.

The president said G-B's freedom struggle serves as a reminder of the unfinished journey of their "brothers and sisters" in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). "While you enjoy liberty and rights under the flag of Pakistan, they continue to face occupation and repression," he said.

"We stand with them till they achieve freedom in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and their own aspirations."

Calling G-B his "second home", the president recalled that the people of the region gained their independence through their own struggle and voluntarily chose to join Pakistan.

He said the history of G-B was filled with acts of unmatched bravery and sacrifice, noting that during the liberation movement of 1947, 1,700 people embraced martyrdom and another 30,000 were wounded.

He highlighted that successive PPP governments had made landmark contributions to G-B's progress.

"Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto showed his affection for the people of G-B by abolishing the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in 1974 and merging princely states into a single administrative unit," he said.

"Later, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto introduced a structural governance system, and the PPP federal government gave G-B a legislative assembly and the offices of governor and chief minister through constitutional amendments."

Zardari said PPP workers from G-B had also played an active role in the country's democratic struggles, with many sacrificing their lives in Karachi and Rawalpindi.

He urged the authorities to expand access to education and healthcare throughout the region and said G-B's vast water and natural resources could be utilised for power generation. The area, he added, held immense tourism potential and could even operate its own airline to promote it.

The president denounced the persecution of Muslims in India and praised Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for creating a separate homeland where all citizens could enjoy freedom and dignity.

Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, in his address, paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1947 liberation movement and thanked President Zardari for gracing the ceremony.

He said the PPP government's 2009 reforms had given G-B its identity and added that integrating the region into Pakistan's constitutional framework – without undermining the Kashmir issue – would thwart India's malicious designs.

The chief minister lauded the sacrifices of Pakistan's armed forces and the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, noting that Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos had further strengthened G-B's security and prestige.

President Zardari later reviewed the parade and witnessed a colourful march-past and cultural floats representing all three divisions of G-B, which drew loud applause from the audience.

The event was attended by the governor, chief minister, members of the legislative assembly, Commander X Corps Lt Gen Ahsan Amir Nawaz, Force Commander Northern Areas Maj Gen Syed Imtiaz Gilani, senior officials, and a large number of citizens.

Earlier, the president was warmly received at Gilgit Airport by Governor Syed Mehdi Shah and the chief minister.