Govt should provide chopper service for goods forwarding between Sost and Gilgit city: Javed Hasan

GBEMonitoring desk

GILGIT, Feb.03: (Shamsuddin Muhammad) Javed Hasan Khan, president Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gilgit-Baltistan has called upon government of Pakistan to facilitate trade community by providing helicopter service to shift trade goods dumped in Sost, Upper Hunza. Addressing a press conference, he said that goods of more than 4billion worth was dumped at Sost,Gojal causing great financial burden and loss for traders. He demanded of government to provide M.I. 17 helicopter service to facilitate shifting of goods to destination. He also demanded of government to write off loans to compensate loss faced by traders community following the blocked of Karakorum High Way. He claimed that the pace of work to clear KKH and release of water from lake is extremely slow adding a detailed complaint letter has been sent to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. Daily K2, Urdu.

Active role of Civil Society in critical times [Article]

By: Shamsuddin Muhammad

Volunteering and public spritedness are among the major attributes and hallmarks of evolving civil society structure in Gilgit-Baltistan.A general overview of data available from different sources elucidates that about 65 percent out of the total population give their time and knowledge to the individual or integrated humanitarian organizations in need.Of those volunteering their time, despite acute financial obstacles, about 4o percent reportedly give time to religious based, 20% Non Governmental Organizations(NGOs) working for powerty reduction and woman empowerment and Cmmunity Support Organizations (CSOs),about 10% to educational institutions with high esteem volunteering as inherited virtue. Volunteering has been an impulse infused by religious and social obligation of helping poor and opressed. Following fall of colonialism, philanthropists like Aga Khan third and later fourth established charities in the health and education sector to uplift standard of living of masses regardless of creed, colour, origin and affliation to faith. With the passage of time, the maturity in mental level of individuals in society drew on historical traditions of providing relief to the victim communities in hard times from the plateform of Community Support Organizations, though least accountable and lack of internal democratic atttitude has had rendedred an invaluable services to humanity during last more than sixty years. The term civil society is bit new in Gilgit-Baltistan,though already existed in terms of both formal and informal volunteer organizations and arbitration committees on town and village level and non profit based educational centrals in past. Yet, on state level, the
term is meant varies for different segments of the society.In contemporary era, developed discourse, discussions and jounalistic writing structures unify many elements under the scope of the emerging term-Civil Society...... Continue





The writer is a freelance researcher and writer.

Huge gold reserves found in Yasen village

GBE Watch

YASEN, Feb.01: A huge reserve of gold have been discovered at the Qhorqholti village of Yasin, the former capital of the ancient Brushal state, which is situated at a distance of about 10 km from the tehsil headquarters, it has been learnt here.As a result, national and international firms and companies have swung into action to put their hands on the natural wealth buried at the village. In the fore front of the companies searching for the gold reserves are Chinese and a dozen are Chinese firms are said to be arriving in the area to cash in on the situation.According to the foreign experts, the area has vast reserves of gold, copper, iron, sulphur etc and their exploitation can bring a revolution not only in the region but also in the whole country.There are a number of Pakistan and other companies who are planning to get lease of the minerals in the areas. However, the mineral development department of Gilgit-Baltistan has not yet taken any initiative to start work on the project.It is also being reported that there have sound of been numerous underground blasts in the mineral rich village of Qhorqholti and the experts say that these sounds of blast are a result of clash between high quality sulphur. The residents say that if a reputed national or international firm is allowed to work on the exploitation of the mineral, the destiny of the region can be changed overnight. However, the people say that Gilgfit-Baltistan is a disputed area and without the agreement of the local people no outsider company can be given permission to work on the project in the region. Earlier, people of Gandaye area in Yasen started protest against a Chinese company when it was given lease of mineral exploitation.It has also been learnt that the government of Pakistan is planning to lease out the reserve by keeping the local people in the dark. However, the residents not only rejected the government's plan but also warned it of dire consequences. They also called upon the international community to put pressure on Pakistan not to exploit the resources of the disputed region without taking its people into confidence, Weekly Baang reports.

Nationalist parties blames regional and federal government for negligance

ISLAMABAD: ( Shamsuddin Muhammad) Nationalist parties has once again blamed regional and federal government for lack of interest in the issue despite warnings given by FOCUS and Geological Survey of Pakistan and other media reports to evacuate and relocate population on both side of artificially formed lake following the land slide in first week of new year. Talking to Voice of Hunza, returning from Faisalabad Workers Annual Convention, Baba Jan, Chief Organizer Progressive Youth, Hunza-Nagar chapter blamed ruling government of negligence in work of release of water saying slow pace of work may bring another tragedy. He said that many people in far flung valleys are getting out of basic essentials of life." Any loss of life or property would be considered as blunder of on part of ruling government," he added. He has demanded of both federal and regional government to make efforts to rehabilitate the affected population along the river on two sides to save further lives in danger, expedite work to release rising water through breach in blockade and clearance of KKH in collaboration with Chinese engineers.