The LoC serves as a de-facto border between India and Pakistan. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
GILGIT:
The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Assembly on Thursday unanimously condemned unprovoked shelling by the Indian Army near the Line of Control (LoC) which killed a Pakistan Army captain and injured a soldier a day earlier.
The condemnation came after Minister for Excise and Taxation Mohammad Naseer asked the house to offer fateha for the departed soul of Captain Sarfaraz, who embraced martyrdom near the LoC in Shakma sector of Baltistan on Wednesday. A soldier, Yasin, also sustained injuries in the shelling which further strained already tense ties between the two neighbouring countries.
“This is a highly condemnable act on part of the Indian forces,” Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) lawmaker Rahmat Khaliq told the house on the fourth day of proceedings. Other lawmakers, including Deputy Speaker Jamil Ahmed and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Syed Raziuddin also spoke during the session.
Speaking on behalf of the house, G-B Assembly Speaker Wazir Baig said Indian aggression was “unbearable” and people in G-B stood united behind the Pakistan Army to defend their homeland.
Diverting attention towards other issues, Leader of the Opposition and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Janbaz Khan spoke on illegal appointments in the Public Works Department (PWD) over the years and demanded immediate action. “In some districts, excessive illegal appointments have been made and I have submitted a report in the house,” he claimed.
The assembly speaker asked Minister for Works Bashir Ahmed to explain measures he has taken to address the issue and directed him to present details in the next assembly session. In response, Ahmed claimed he has taken action and assured the house of providing details.
Minister for Local Bodies Mohammad Ismail, meanwhile, said elections will be held during April and May next year.
Senior Minister Muhammad Jaffar said by-elections for two Baltistan constituencies were delayed upon the PML-N’s request as snowfall had blocked roads in valleys at high altitude. “Another reason for the delay is tension along the LoC,” he said.
The opposition benches also raised the issue of delays in the by-polls, which were scheduled to be held by July. Later, the house unanimously passed a resolution to hold by-polls on the two vacant seats soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.
COMMENTS (2)
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@sterry:
people from Gilgit Pakistan are always the most natrionalistic of all Pakistanis. Mr.Sterry - are you a real Pakistani. No Pakistani use insulting words like the above on GB. These MPAs have never done one good thing to the people of GB so far except eating the taxes paid by poor people.
I guess the folks in Gilgit Baltistan know only too well how they have suffered because of Indian agression at the border. They were lucky to fight for their own freedom at independence from the British. They would be suffering under Indian rule if they hadn't fought for their own freedom. I notice that people from Gilgit Pakistan are always the most natrionalistic of all Pakistanis. Other Pakistani people have a lot to learn from their sacrifices to join Pakistan.