Bilawal says people of G-B should become rightful owners of their land

GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir will have to be given sovereignty and ownership rights.

Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Bilawal said his political vision centred on securing rights of ownership, governance and employment for the people of the region.

Bilawal said the mandate of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan must be respected, and that no one would be allowed to undermine their democratic choice.

He expressed a desire to help ensure that the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan were given their constitutional rights.

He said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan should become the rightful owners of their land and added that he wished to see representatives from the region sitting in Pakistan’s Parliament.

Bilawal argued that politics had increasingly been portrayed negatively in the country and stressed the need to set a positive example through democratic engagement and public service.

The PPP chairman said his party would work with the opposition parties to promote development in Gilgit-Baltistan and pledged that no political worker would face discrimination because of party affiliation.

He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for accepting the mandate in Gilgit-Baltistan and expressed gratitude to both the prime minister and the Pakistan Muslim League (N).

Referring to political developments in Kashmir, Bilawal expressed regret over the decision of some parties to not to participate in elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

He reiterated his support for granting rights of ownership and self-governance to the people of both Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.

He said decisions affecting the future of the two regions should be made by their own people and maintained that he was not prepared to compromise on the principle of self-governance for Kashmir.

Bilawal added that he wanted the people of Kashmir to have representation in parliament and noted that a younger generation in the region was increasingly seeking greater political rights.

Turning to regional affairs, Bilawal accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government of pursuing policies aimed at destabilizing Pakistan.

He claimed that India was attempting to create unrest following military setbacks and said that cooperation between India and Israel posed challenges for the region.

He also claimed that an Israeli conspiracy had failed and accused Modi of attempting to facilitate infiltration into Pakistan through Afghanistan.

The PPP chairman also said Pakistan would not compromise on its rights over the Indus River system, insisting that water resources were a national interest that must be protected.

Bilawal said India was attempting to use the Indus Waters Treaty as a weapon against Pakistan.

“We will not compromise on the Indus Waters Treaty. If we have to fight for it, we will fight,” he said.

He accused India of seeking to use water as a political tool and vowed that any attempts to undermine Pakistan’s interests in Balochistan would be resisted.

Bilawal further praised the role of the Pakistan Armed Forces, saying the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir were proud of the armed forces and appreciated their sacrifices in defence of the country.

Separately, Bilawal paid tribute to the people of Iran, saying he saluted them for what he described as defeating Israel on the military front.