World community must intervene to end atrocities in Gilgit-Baltistan: R.K. Singh

Stating that the demonstrations by the expats in London is just a reflection of the protests in Gilgit and Baltistan, former home secretary and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP R.K. Singh on Wednesday said that the world should have taken note of it much earlier and tried to find out the reason.

"The protests of people of Gilgit and Baltistan in London are just a reflection of the protests, which have been happening in Gilgit and Baltistan. These protests by the people of Gilgit and Baltistan have been happening for some time, for many years now," said Singh.

"It is just that we and the world have not taken note of those protests. We should have taken note of the protests that were going on. The world should have tried to find out the reason," he added.

Asserting that the people of Gilgit and Baltistan feel threatened, Singh further said, "Pakistan is mostly Sunni, Shias are an endangered minority in Pakistan. Similarly, Shias are an endangered species now in Gilgit and Basltisatn. That is the problem."

The diaspora community from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan, staged protests outside the Pakistan High Commission in London this past Sunday and demanded that terror camps operating in PoK and Gilgit be shut down.

The demonstration was organised to attract the world's attention to issues concerning PoK.

The main focus of the protest was to highlight the presence of terrorist camps of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Hizbul Mujahideen in the region.

The demonstrators demanded a dismantling of the terror infrastructure in the region. They also urged the Pakistan Army to leave PoK and Gilgit Baltistan.

Pakistan was also urged to stop cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, restore democracy in PoK and release political prisoners like Baba Jaan.

The protesters demanded a free and independent investigation into the murder of former All Party National Alliance Chief Arif Shahid and called for the suspension of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which they claimed will adversely affect the region's environment and only create jobs for Pakistanis and Chinese.

They said that the CPEC should be suspended until a consensus is built.

The PoK and Gilgit Baltistan diaspora resolved to carry on with their protests until world reacts appropriately and urgently to end the atrocities going on in the region.