A side-event, ‘China in Gilgit Baltistan; Its Implications’, was held in Geneva during the 32nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.Speaking on the invitation of the ‘World Environment Resources Council’, Junaid Qureshi (Prominent Kashmiri columnist, International human rights activist, Senior leader of JKDLP and organizer of the Europe-wide Signature Campaign against the further division of Jammu & Kashmir and attempts of unlawfully annexing Gilgit Baltistan) raised his grave concerns vis-á-vis China’s presence in Gilgit Baltistan. As per statement issued to press, Junaid Qureshi while addressing the gathering, said that the 46 Billion Dollar costing China Pakistan Economic Corridor is an extension of China’s ambitions of reconstructing the ancient Silk Road and that part of this 3,000-kilometer long network of roads, railways and pipelines, will pass through Gilgit Baltistan, which does not fall within the ambit of the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and is an integral part of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir.He stressed that Pakistan’s move to illegally annex Gilgit Baltistan, change the fundamentals of the actual Kashmir-issue and cement China’s stake in the dispute is in response to concerns raised by Beijing. “China cannot afford to invest billions of dollars on a road that passes through a disputed territory claimed both by India and Pakistan,” he said.
Junaid Qureshi said that China’s presence in Gilgit Baltistan has stirred up more than China and Pakistan would want the world to believe. “The injustice mounted upon Baba Jan’s and his fellow activists is an example in this regard,” Junaid said.He strongly condemned the arrest, inhuman torture and 40 year imprisonment of Baba Jan and his associates on fabricated charges of terrorism.Junaid stated that by any means, Baba Jan and his associates’ conviction is illegitimate as the act under which they have been falsely implicated (Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act) has no jurisdiction in Gilgit Baltistan according to Pakistan’s own constitution and Supreme Court.“Baba Jan is being prosecuted as he organized protests against the selling-off of all the natural resources of the region to Chinese companies and challenged the forcible occupation of 2,800 square miles of the region’s land mass by the Chinese, as well as the annexation of Kohistan and Chitral into the Republic of Pakistan”, he added.While describing Baba Jan’s prosecution as, ‘State terrorism and a grave violation of Human Rights’, the JKDLP leader stated that the Anti –Terrorism Act is being used to silence voices of justified dissent in Gilgit Baltistan in order to pacify concerns raised by Beijing.He appealed the UN to take note of the injustice mounted upon Baba Jan and demanded his and his associates’ immediate release.Subsequent to the Seminar, JKDLP’s Europe-wide Signature Campaign will be held in front of the UN on the 18th and 19th of June.Other including Paulo Casaca (Executive Director of South Asia Democratic Forum) and Salini (Representative of RyszardCzarnecki, Vice President of the European Parliament) were present on the occasion. (KNS)