Opposition Leader Muhammad Kazim Maisam Threatens Mountain Protest Over Sost Dispute and Mining Bill in Gilgit-Baltistan

Shiite News: Opposition Leader in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, Muhammad Kazim Maisam, has issued a strong warning against federal policies in the region, threatening mass protests “in the mountains” if local demands are ignored and federal overreach continues.
Speaking at an emergency press conference in Islamabad, Kazim Maisam, a senior leader of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), declared that the mineral resources of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) belong solely to its people, and no foreign entity—including American proxies—will be allowed to exploit them. “These minerals are not anyone’s personal property; they belong to the people of GB,” he asserted.
He also made it clear that the controversial mining bill proposed by the federal government will not be allowed to pass in the GB Assembly. “As long as we are in the Assembly, no such bill will be allowed. If anyone tries to engineer its passage, we will meet them in the mountains,” he warned.
Kazim Maisam addressed the ongoing two-month-long protest by traders at the Sost border, Pakistan’s key trade gateway with China. He emphasized that the traders’ demands are not just local grievances but reflect the will of the entire GB population. He accused the federal government of mishandling the situation by sending in Frontier Corps (FC) forces and attempting to suppress the movement through propaganda and threats.
“Sost Port sustains the livelihoods of over 150,000 people in GB. It’s our economic backbone, and attempts to disrupt it will not be tolerated,” Maisam said.
Maisam strongly criticized the federal government for continuing to deny GB its constitutional rights despite the region’s voluntary accession to Pakistan 78 years ago. He stated that while GB was linked to the Kashmir dispute, the people have consistently demanded full rights and representation.
He demanded implementation of United Nations resolutions regarding disputed territories and full political representation for GB in the National Assembly, Senate, Supreme Court, and financial institutions like the NFC.
He also expressed solidarity with protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), urging peaceful demonstrations and calling for unified action to secure constitutional and economic rights for both regions.
Kazim Maisam condemned the alleged involvement of U.S.-backed entities in GB’s mining sector, warning that American interference has historically destabilized regions around the world. He urged the federal government to recognize GB’s geopolitical sensitivities and refrain from becoming a proxy for foreign interests.
“The state labeled GB as disputed to deny us rights, and now uses force to claim us as part of Pakistan. This contradiction must end,” he said. “If demanding rights makes us rebels, then so be it.”
Maisam warned that if force is used again in GB to suppress rightful protests, the federal government will be held responsible for the consequences. He called for mutual respect, inclusive policymaking, and recognition of GB’s rights, stressing that further alienation will only deepen the divide between the center and the region.
“We will resist every attempt to loot our resources, silence our people, or impose governance through engineering. The next phase of our protest will not be in press conferences, but in the mountains.”