MWM says Gilgit-Baltistan being punished for unwavering loyalty to Pakistan

Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen has said that people of Gilgit-Baltistan were being punished for their unwavering loyalty to the State of Pakistan and denying them their legitimate rights is a betrayal to the ideals of founding fathers of Pakistan.

These views were expressed by Mohammad Mehdi Abedi, information secretary, Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) speaking at a seminar on Allama Dr Mohammad Iqbal on his death anniversary here on Tuesday.

 “Allama Iqbal was founding ideologue of Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Pakistan because Mr. Jinnah declared him so. Loyal people of Gilgit-Baltistan liberated their areas and annexed voluntarily with Pakistan so they deserve much more but they demand the least,” he said.

Mehdi Abedi further said that people of Gilgit-Baltistan has right to react according to Allama Iqbal’s ideology who urged the peasants to burn the fields in case of denial of their rights. He said that now government should also beware of the fact that they are denying the people of Gilgit-Baltistan their due rights.

“Despite clear guidelines in the ideology of Allama Iqbal, Gilgit-Baltistan’s people have registered an organized and purely peaceful protest hence the federal and provincial governments must reconsider their anti-people decisions, he urged.

The MWM’s central official said that original wheat subsidy must be restored for Gilgit-Baltistan with an end to reduction made in the past. He said that Allama Iqbal and Mohammad Ali Jinnah were supporters of the oppressed Muslims therefore they attracted millions of Indian Muslims and finally Pakistan came into being.

“Another legitimate demand of the Gilgit-Baltistan is preference to the locals in affairs of their province. They deserve it that their locals should get jobs and contracts and outsiders should not be allowed to exploit their natural resources,” he demanded.