Bilawal asks all parties to contest AJK elections, present manifestos

GILGIT-BALTISTAN, July 6: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said political parties have given the people of Gilgit-Baltistan space to take part in politics.

Speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of GB CM, Bilawal said the people here are carrying forward their struggle in a democratic way. He credited former President Asif Ali Zardari for giving Gilgit-Baltistan its identity.

“A new generation has now come forward in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said. “This new generation has taken on the responsibility of the struggle. Across Pakistan too, the new generation will take this struggle forward.”

Bilawal said his aim is to secure constitutional rights for Gilgit-Baltistan. “I want to see the people of Gilgit-Baltistan represented in the National Assembly,” he added.

He said PPP received its mandate on three basic principles. “We have to give the people of GB the right to self-governance, the right to employment, and the right to property,” Bilawal stated.

Bilawal proposed that people divide their cultivable land among themselves. “Even land that is not cultivable will belong to you,” he said. After the division, he suggested forming farming collectives and doing large-scale farming through public-private partnerships.

“When farming is done through public-private partnership, the benefit will go to you,” he said. “The people of Gilgit-Baltistan should decide about their own lands.”

He added that providing jobs to GB’s people is also a responsibility on them. “It is the GB government’s job to provide employment to the youth,” Bilawal said. He noted that the Chief Minister has announced jobs will be given on merit across GB. “GB has the most merit. We will not let anyone rob GB’s people of that merit.”

Bilawal Bhutto thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying the PM recognized PPP’s mandate and offered full support. He also thanked PML-N, IPP and other parties.

“I want a new kind of politics to be set in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said. “In Pakistan, politics has become an insult. It has become about fighting and enmity. We will not let that happen here. This government belongs to both winners and losers. No party worker will be made to feel different.”

He said he and Amjad Advocate have a responsibility to be the voice of the people. Local body elections in GB will be held before winter, he added.

Talking about the border, Bilawal said Kashmir and GB share the world’s highest and toughest border, with Indian forces on one side and Pakistani forces on the other.

“All Pakistanis are united in our struggle for rights against India,” he said. “In the war, Pakistan’s armed forces gave Modi’s government a historic defeat. He can’t digest that defeat, so he is copying the Israeli model.”

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He alleged India is trying to create trouble in Pakistan through Afghanistan. “We know what India wants to do. The people of Pakistan, GB and Azad Kashmir want to tell you: your conspiracy will fail,” Bilawal Bhutto said. He also praised the Iranian people for defeating Israel’s attempt at interference.

Bilawal accused India of trying to use the Indus River as a weapon. “We are not ready to deal. We will defend the Indus River on every front. If we have to fight a war, we are ready. We will also defeat Modi’s government on the Indus Waters Treaty.”

He said PPP and the people of GB and Kashmir have stood together for three generations. “I am going to Kashmir and will tell them we have stood with them for three generations. We will keep giving global protection to Kashmir’s struggle.”

Bilawal Bhutto said GB has shown the way and now this manifesto will go to Azad Kashmir. All parties should take part in AJK elections and present their manifestos, he said.

“Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan must be given interim self-governance rights,” he argued. “People of AJK and GB are not ready to live on old salaries. Until a plebiscite is held, representatives from GB and AJK should be part of the federal government, the Senate and National Assembly.”

“Decisions about GB should be made by GB, and decisions about AJK should be made by AJK,” he said. “For how long will Punjab or Sindh have a say in AJK’s decisions? Sindh and Punjab don’t tolerate interference. How can we expect AJK to tolerate it?”

He ended by saying, “From the mountaintop to the river, it belongs to you. That’s our promise to both GB and Azad Kashmir. These areas are the Koh-i-Noor of Pakistan’s economy. Once you get self-governance, you can create jobs for all of Pakistan. If we want to defeat Modi’s conspiracy, we have to struggle for our people.”