PML-N pins blame on govt for sectarian strife in G-B

Party’s chief coordinator for Gilgit-Baltistan accuses federal govt of preventing it from bringing peace in region.


Our Correspondent August 24, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Taking notice of the recent sectarian strife in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday accused the Kashmir Affairs minister and chief minister of G-B for not taking steps to implement the Mosque Regulation Act, adopted with consensus by the Legislative Assembly on May 24, 2012.


Addressing a press conference, PML-N’s Chief Coordinator for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Siddiqul Farooq held the Kashmir Affairs minister, interior minister and chief minister of G-B responsible for the killings of the 19 Shia passengers at the hands of over a dozen armed men at the Lulusar area in Naran Valley of Mansehra District on August 16.

He also blamed the ministers for the killing of two traders on Tuesday at the hands of gunmen on the outskirts of Gilgit. “If immediate remedial measures had been taken after t he Lalusar incident, additional losses and sectarian tension could have been avoided,” Farooq said.

He added that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif was seriously concerned over the deteriorating situation in the area and issued special directions to the party’s G-B chapter President Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman.

He pointed out that on the direction of Nawaz Sharif the PML-N has played a special role for sectarian harmony in G-B.

However, Farooq criticised the local and federal government for creating hurdles in PML-N’s efforts to bring peace and order. Responding to a question, the party’s chief coordinator added that he was continuously lobbying to the G-B government to effectively deal with terrorism and sectarian tension in the region.  But due to its inefficiency or to divert attention of the people from its failures, the federal and G-B governments were not paying attention towards their moral and constitutional obligations, he said.

Farooq stated that so far 200 innocent people had lost their lives in the violence, but the local leadership was more interested in saving its own skin rather than the lives of the poor masses.

He emphasised that his party considered G-B a collective home of Sunnis, Shias, Ismailis, Noor Bakhshi and Ahle-e-Hadith and it was vital that harmony existed among them. He said the people of G-B believed that there was a need for unity among them for economic and social development of the area. The PML-N leader also warned that a handful of anti-social elements had created a ‘no go area’ in G-B and due to its vested interests, the provincial government was not taking steps to curb these elements.

He concluded that despite a heavy deployment of the army, Frontier Constabulary and police officials and intelligence agencies in G-B, terrorism and sectarian violence was an ongoing menace that has not been rooted out so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2012. 

COMMENTS (4)

Humaira | 11 years ago | Reply Accusing Government for sectarian strife in Gilgit Baltistan is tantamount to “Pot calling the kettle black”. PPP has a long history of safe guarding the rights of minorities and no other party except PPP pondered and worked on the plight of minorities. Benazir Bhutto spent her entire life in struggling for the rights of minorities. On the other hand and PML-N always supported religious fanatics that are in turn involved in the killing of minorities. Punjab is the most dangerous and violent province in this regard. You can see the ratio of such incidents in Punjab as compared to other provinces, Punjab is leading one. It has become the hub of extremists. Gojra incident is one of the most brutal incidents in the history of Pakistan and where did it take place. Their Law minister is one of the potential supporter of religious extremists, can PML-N deny his links with LeJ, SSP and other extremist parties??
Kashif | 11 years ago | Reply

"PML-N pins blame on govt for sectarian strife in G-B" and in Punjab PMLN paid stipend to Malik Ishaq's (LeJ) family.

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