Withdrawal of sedition cases sought
Hunza-Nagar residents charged with sedition after they protested against the govt during PM's visit to Hunza.
GILGIT:
The Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) on Sunday condemned the sedition charges against residents of Hunza-Nagar and demanded their immediate withdrawal.
About a dozen residents of the Hunza-Nagar were charged with sedition after they protested against the government during Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s visit to Hunza in the wake of the Attabad landslide disaster.
“The government has registered sedition cases against the progressive nationalists rights’ defenders,” Chairperson of GBUM Manzoor Parwana said.
The activists were holding a peaceful rally demanding that relief goods and funds be provided for the victims of the floods and the landslide of Hunza-Gojal, Parwana said.
The cases against the flood victims exposed the ‘so-called democratic regime’, Parwana said, which claims to have granted the right of freedom of expression and political activity to the masses.
He termed the framing of sedition charges a “folly” as it has been registered against those demanding food, shelter, medicines and clothing.
He said that the protest occurred after the prime minister visited the flooded villages of Hunza but failed to announce adequate relief measures for the victims. He also challenged the validity of such cases, since Gilgit-Baltistan is not a constitutional part of the Pakistan.
He further said that the sedition cases against Babajan, Wajahat, Noor Ali, Ghulam Zahir, Izhar, Khadim Hussain, Ibrahim, Jan Alam, Gul Nawaz, Rahim, Abdul Karim and Karim Khan were baseless.
The police report also proved that the protest was peaceful and, he said, the Gilgit-Baltistan CM should withdraw the cases against these innocent individuals to ensure freedom of speech in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2010.
The Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) on Sunday condemned the sedition charges against residents of Hunza-Nagar and demanded their immediate withdrawal.
About a dozen residents of the Hunza-Nagar were charged with sedition after they protested against the government during Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s visit to Hunza in the wake of the Attabad landslide disaster.
“The government has registered sedition cases against the progressive nationalists rights’ defenders,” Chairperson of GBUM Manzoor Parwana said.
The activists were holding a peaceful rally demanding that relief goods and funds be provided for the victims of the floods and the landslide of Hunza-Gojal, Parwana said.
The cases against the flood victims exposed the ‘so-called democratic regime’, Parwana said, which claims to have granted the right of freedom of expression and political activity to the masses.
He termed the framing of sedition charges a “folly” as it has been registered against those demanding food, shelter, medicines and clothing.
He said that the protest occurred after the prime minister visited the flooded villages of Hunza but failed to announce adequate relief measures for the victims. He also challenged the validity of such cases, since Gilgit-Baltistan is not a constitutional part of the Pakistan.
He further said that the sedition cases against Babajan, Wajahat, Noor Ali, Ghulam Zahir, Izhar, Khadim Hussain, Ibrahim, Jan Alam, Gul Nawaz, Rahim, Abdul Karim and Karim Khan were baseless.
The police report also proved that the protest was peaceful and, he said, the Gilgit-Baltistan CM should withdraw the cases against these innocent individuals to ensure freedom of speech in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2010.