Pre arrest bail of Sultan Madad and twelve other left wing and nationalist leaders was confirmed by the Court of Additional District and Session Judge today in Gilgit.
HunzaNews March 06 2015
An FIR was registered against the speakers of a conference under charges of treason section 123, 124A, 153 etc. Conference titled ‘Gilgit Baltistan in the context of Kashmir Dispute’ was organized by Karakoram National Movement and All Parties National Alliance on 22nd February 2015.
Engineer Amanullah Khan Chairman GBDA, Javed Chairman KNM, Tarauf Abbas, General Secretary KNM, Burhanullah General Secretary GBDA & BNF, Wazir Shafi Advocate, Dr, Ghulam Abbas Astori, President GBNM, writer and prominent social worker Hidayatullah Akhtar, Faqir Shah Ex President Anjuman Imamia Gilgit, Tahir Ali Tahir BNF, PYF leader Comrade Wajid Ali, Engr Shujat Ali, GB Jamhoori Mahaz, Mumtaz Nagari Advocate, Sher Nadir and Faizan Mir from Gilgit Baltistan were granted bail. Participants from Pakistan Administered Kashmir implicated in the FIR did not appear in the court because Gilgit Baltistan judiciary and government have no authority in the territory of Pakistan and Pakistan Administered Kashmir.
After coming out of court Sultan Madad condemned the launch of treason case and termed it state repression to crush the local voice. He said that even an indoor activity is not tolerated by the regime. It is violation of basic human rights, Pakistan’s commitment in the UN and the spirit of its own constitution. These leaders vowed to continue their struggle for the democratic rights of Gilgit Baltistan. Rejecting the present governance order, they said that we want an independent constituent assembly of Gilgit Baltistan and regions ownership over its resources. They said that our struggle against the colonial slavery cannot be stopped with such coward tactics.
Although the contents of the FIR are baseless and ambiguous without any legal merit, it is nevertheless an admission that there is a considerable voice of resistance against the prevailing colonial system. Contents of the FIR are themselves government’s admission of the corrupt and undemocratic colonial rule.
The allegations prove certain realities:
Case is purely political without any allegation of criminal nature. It reflects the common public dissatisfaction from the rule of establishment and Islamabad viceroyalty in Gilgit Baltistan. Secondly, it recognizes that these activists have their own voice for the colonized nation of GB. They are not proxies and agents of any foreign master. They are neither dictated by Islamabad based parties nor any other power broker. GB needs this original voice of its own.
It is encouraging to see the unity among indigenous political leadership belonging to various areas and religious sects. Shiites, Sunnites and Ismailies, irrespective of their religious colors were charged for raising common voice. This is a welcome sign in itself in the chequered sectarian situation of GB.
A penal of lawyers led by prominent left wing leader and President of Supreme Appellate Court Bar Association Gilgit Baltistan Ehsan Ali Advocate argued for the petitioners. He argued that it is a malafide case to harass and victimize peaceful political workers and worst example of human rights. He further argued that the petitioners demand rights under United Nation resolutions. Criticizing Governance Order is a basic human right of a citizen. He further argued that the petitioners are citizens of Gilgit Baltistan and not Pakistan under section 2 (a) of Gilgit Baltistan Governance Order 2009. Treason charges of section 123 and 124 (A) are not cognizable offences. Police are not authorized to register cases under these sections. Treason can be against a federal or provincial government in which case the concerned government can lodge complain before a judicial magistrate. Contrary to these provisos, it has become usual to register FIRs against nationalist and progressive political leaders in Gilgit Baltistan which is naked state repression and human rights violation.
It is worth mentioning that section 124-A has also been used against these leaders at different occasions in the past. Sultan Madad, Convener Bolor Forum and Ahsan Ali Advocate remained behind the bars on similar charges in 1996. Courts have been acquitting these leaders from these charges.
