Sectarian violence: G-B government appeals for peace

Asks media not to carry clerks’ statements to keep tempers cool.

GILGIT:

The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government has appealed to the people to strive to maintain peace and harmony in the region, which was recently engulfed by sectarian violence.

“We earnestly request the intelligentsia, lawyers, journalists and social activists to rise against terrorism and extremism and support the steps taken by the government,” G-B Minister for Agriculture and Food Muhammad Jaffer told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

The senior minister said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government was also willing to support G-B to make travel safer for passengers on the Karakoram Highway.

He said that G-B attained independence as a result of sacrifices rendered by their forefathers and warned that if they did not honour them, it would be tantamount to disloyalty with their land.

Jaffer said if people failed to observe unity in their ranks, miscreants would try to take advantage of the situation. He praised the army for restoring peace and said the forces were cooperating with the civilian government on its request.

As measures taken for the restoration of peace and order in the region, the regional government has arrested nearly 20 out of 33 people involved in the recent wave of sectarianism that left over 20 dead and scores of injured in G-B.

Nearly all the accused nominated in the Chilas violence have been arrested, while negotiations are underway for the arrest of perpetrators nominated in clashes in Nagar valley, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Ali Sher.

Since the main mosques of Shias and Sunnis were sealed, the government has also banned clerics from both sects from issuing statements to the media.

“We have taken steps to ensure that statements from clerics representing their sects do not appear in the media,” said law minister Wazir Shakeel.

In addition to that, the government is debating whether to arrest Agha Rahat and Qazi Nisar, the top clerics representing the two sects, to ensure durable peace.

However, the government has been advised by political representatives to refrain from arresting them to avoid adding to their popularity among their followers.

“The government has been advised to bring the two to the negotiating table and convince them to sign an agreement drafted by officials,” said a politician.

Meanwhile, a statement issued from the office of chief minister stated that the army would withdraw only after peace was permanently restored in the city.

It said that the loss of lives in the latest wave of violence could have been much higher had the army not been called in. The army imposed curfew in Gilgit nearly four weeks ago, which has just been lifted.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2012.