Pakistan is illegally ruling Gilgit Baltistan : Activist

Asserting that Pakistan is an 'occupier', activist Senge Sering has said that Islamabad is ruling in Gilgit Baltistan on an illegal basis and is misusing the resources in the region.

Speaking on the sidelines of at an event titled 'Jammu and Kashmir: Sifting facts from fiction' held at Geneva Press Club on the sidelines of the ongoing 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), President of Gilgit Baltistan Studies, Senge Sering, "Pakistan is an occupier, Pakistan wants to prolong the occupation. It is in Gilgit Baltistan on the illegal basis and the only way it can prolong the occupation and abuse of resources is by spreading lies and myths about Jammu and Kashmir and confusing the international community and confusing the local people,"

Syed Tehmeena from The True Voice of Kashmir; Executive Director of South Asia Democratic Forum Paulo Casaca, a former member of the European Parliament Nathan Gill, an expert on South Asia from European Commission, Brian Toll, president of Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) Sajjad Raja were also present during the event.

Speaking to ANI, Sajjad Raja said, "Vast majority of people of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been against the accession to Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir is the part of India."

Supporting the abrogation fo Article 370 A, Brian Toll said that the special status to people of Jammu and Kashmir, which was brought to bring normalcy in the region, did not lead to peace and development

"Article 370 came as it was trying to give the state some sort of semblance of normality. It allows the state to take its own decision on everything except for Defence, foreign affairs," said Toll.

"However, it did not lead to peace and development. Education has been disrupted by strikes and conflicts. So the people in the region was facing the problem of no education, no employment, no hope and that is never good for any state. Removing Article 370 means resemblance of some sort of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Syed Tehmeena, said that Kashmir would be the better place as there will be more investments.

"Kashmir would be a better place in the future. It is too early to decide. It is only a few months [since the abrogation of Article 370]. It would be a better place of the investment and further rights given to the woman," she said.