Locals have said that poor people of Gilgit-Baltistan are being forced to give up their ancestral land to private buyers who have connections with Pakistan Army

Residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan organized a massive protest on Sunday, February 13, against the Pakistan administration for issuing licenses to private contractors for mining and digging gems in the region. Locals have said that poor people of Gilgit-Baltistan are being forced to give up their ancestral land to private Pakistani buyers who have connections with the military and are most probably the frontmen of the Pakistani army.

Residents of Nasirbad, Hunza, and Gilgit Baltistan took to the streets demanding that the licenses of contractors be revoked and the local authorities be brought to task for allowing this injustice. Protests were also held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and other cities where many youngsters from Gilgit Baltistanlives study.

"Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan is a disputed area and Pakistan cannot issue licenses to private contractors for mining and digging our gems. But they have issued licenses to Pakistan contractors, one of which is Mohammad Dada, who is digging out all the marbles from the Gilgit Baltistan mountains and transporting them to Pakistan. Similarly, poor people are being forced to give up their ancestral land to private Pakistani buyers who have connections with the military. They are buying off lands from the poorest of people," one of the locals said, narrating their ordeal.

On February 13, there was a massive protest in which women, men, and children of all ages took part and demanded that Mohammad Dada's license be revoked and that the local authorities should be brought to task, he added. The protests were also joined by the Islamabad press club.

"Gilgit Baltistan is a disputed area, it is not Pakistan's territory. It has been illegally occupied by Pak since 1947, it belongs to India and to the people of Gilgit Baltistan. This blundering of lands cannot take place," the man said.

Land Grabbing In Gilgit-Baltistan

During the elections, the Imran Khan government had promised the people of Gilgit-Baltistan jobs, education, and prosperity as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But according to the locals, the policies framed by the government alter the demographics of the region and systematically secure the ownership of the land that is possessed by locals. They said that they would never let such anti-native policies get implemented in the region. They alleged that the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan were not consulted while drafting such policies.