Residents of Shigar District in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) have mounted significant protests against the Pakistan government's proposed legislation to exploit the region's mineral resources and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's plan to use these resources to address Pakistan's national debt.

The protest, organized under the banner of the "Protection of Mountains, Pastures, Minerals, and Lands" movement, began at Hussaini Chowk in Shigar and saw participation from a broad spectrum of society, including religious leaders, political activists, and local citizens.

Speakers at the rally, including prominent figures such as Allama Agha Ali Rizvi (Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Gilgit-Baltistan), Syed Abbas Mousavi, Syed Taha Shamsuddin, and former assembly member Imran Nadeem, condemned the government's actions as violations of the people's rights.

They argued that the mountains, pastures, and rivers are the collective property of the local population and cannot be leased, transferred, or exploited without their explicit consent. The protestors highlighted that PoGB's unresolved constitutional status should prevent unilateral resource extraction by Islamabad, emphasizing that any policy regarding resource use must involve broad public consultation.

The demonstrators expressed deep frustration over what they described as repeated occupations and resource grabs by the Pakistani establishment, particularly under the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill. Slogans like "Kabze par kabza namanzoor" ("we reject repeated occupations") echoed through the rally, reflecting widespread anger over the perceived illegal occupation of local lands and minerals.

The protestors warned that any attempt to enforce the bill or use force against peaceful demonstrators would be met with stiff resistance and a potential escalation of the movement, including the shutdown of all surveying and mineral extraction activities until the bill is withdrawn.

A key grievance among the local population is the lack of consultation and equitable benefit-sharing from resource extraction. Residents argue that the region's resources have historically been exploited for the benefit of the central government and external actors, with little regard for local development or environmental sustainability. There are also serious concerns about the environmental impact of large-scale mining in Gilgit-Baltistan, including deforestation, habitat loss, water contamination, and the displacement of indigenous communities, which could have irreversible consequences for the region's fragile mountain ecosystems.

The protests in Shigar are part of a broader pattern of unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan, where locals are increasingly vocal about land grabs, resource exploitation, and chronic issues such as prolonged power outages. The region's strategic significance-lying at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-further complicates the situation, as local resistance threatens to disrupt key trade routes and infrastructure projects.

The Shigar protests underscore deep-seated local opposition to Islamabad's resource extraction policies, driven by demands for genuine local ownership, environmental protection, and an end to what is widely viewed as exploitative and unilateral decision-making by the Pakistani government.

ANI