Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has held ministers for Kashmir Affairs, interior and Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister responsible for killing of innocent people and sectarian tension in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, PML-N’s Chief Coordinator for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir Mohammad Siddiqul Farooq said if immediate remedial measures had been taken after the Lolo Sir top incident, additional losses and sectarian tension could have been avoided. He accused the Kashmir Affairs Minister and Chief Minister, Gilgit-Baltistan for not taking steps for implementation of the Mosque Regulation Act adopted by the Legislative Assembly on May 24.
He said the PML-N President Nawaz Sharif was seriously concerned over the deteriorating situation in the area and has issued special direction to GB President Hafeezur Rehman. He pointed out that on the direction of Nawaz, the PML-N has played special role for sectarian harmony in Gilgit-Baltistan. However he criticized the government for creating hurdles in the attempts of the PML-N to bring peace and order. In reply to a question, Farooq said he had been continuously drawing attention of the ministry and the GB government to deal with terrorism and sectarian tension. However due to its inefficiency or to divert attention of the people from its failures, the federal and GB governments had not been paying attention towards their moral and constitutional obligations, he said.
Farooq said so far 200 innocent people had lost their lives in sectarian tension but the local leadership was more interested in saving the government rather than the lives of the poor masses. He said all the religio-political and social society must take notice of the criminal attitude of the provincial government. He hoped that the print and electronic media would show greater responsibility in reporting the events in Gilgit-Baltistan. To another question, the chief coordinator said the PML-N considers GB as collective home of Sunni, Shias, Ismailis, Noor Bakhshi and Ahle-e-Hadith and it was but natural that there must be harmony among them. He pointed out that all schools of thought played their collective role for independence from Dogra Raj. He said people of Gilgit-Baltistan believe that there was need for unity among them for economic and social development of the area.
