Mar 22, 2011

Gilgit Baltistan: United Nations Commission Asked To Assess Rights Situation In Baltistan


The UN Human Rights Commission has been asked to send a special rapporteur to visit Gilgit and Baltistan areas to assess human rights situation by a European Parliamentarian.

 

Below is an article published by: MSN News.

The UN Human Rights Commission has been asked to send a special rapporteur to visit Gilgit and Baltistan areas to assess human rights situation by a European Parliamentarian.

Jurgen Creutzmann, who is the chairperson of the Friends of Gilgit-Baltistan in the European Parliament has also asked the European parliamentarians to assess the impact of closure of Line Of Control on the people of the area.

The parliamentarian made the demand at a conference in Geneva organised by the Washington-based Institute for Gilgit Baltistan, where speakers said that Gilgit Baltistan areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, now carved into Northern territories remained under heavy censorship and brutal oppression.

Though the Pakistani regime has promulgating ad-hoc presidential ordinances like Gilgit-Baltistan Self-governance and Empowerment Ordinance of 2009 and Baluchistan Reconciliation Ordinance of 2009, Islamabad continues to enjoy veto right over decisions pertaining to financial and judicial matters, he said.

Senge Sering, of the Institute for Gilgit Baltistan requested the international rights organisations to pay attention to the genuine needs and interests of the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Baluchistan and pressure Pakistan to withdraw security forces and grant the "natives of these regions absolute right over their land and resources".

Mumtaz Khan, executive director of International Center for Peace & Democracy said that all the decisions pertaining to Pakistan occupied Kashmir are made in Islamabad and even the Kashmiri president and prime minister are denied a say in decisions pertaining to resource exploitation and revenue distribution.

He called Kashmir Council "a political tool of Islamabad to enforce veto power over the decisions of local judicial, political, economic and financial institutions" and demanded its immediate abolishment.