GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee organized a protest rally on Monday, denouncing the alleged misuse of the Anti-Terrorism Act and cybercrime laws by the government to suppress dissent and restrict freedom of expression in the region.
The rally, led by GB Awami Action Committee Chairman Advocate Ehsan Ali, Baltistan Division President Najaf Ali, and senior leaders Baba Jan and Mumtaz Nagri, saw participants marching along River View Road before gathering at the Central Press Club of Gilgit.
Addressing the rally, the committee leaders accused the government of using the Anti-Terrorism Act and cybercrime laws to file fabricated cases against political workers and members of the Awami Action Committee, aiming to stifle their voices raised in defense of the people’s rights. They condemned these coercive measures and vowed to continue exercising their right to free speech.
The leaders noted that the GB government had recently placed the Awami Action Committee chairman and others on the Fourth Schedule, a list of individuals under close watch due to perceived threats to public order.
Najaf Ali highlighted the committee’s demands for basic rights for local residents, uninterrupted electricity supply, and the right to local land ownership. He criticized the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for filing false cases instead of addressing public concerns.
Speakers at the rally also pointed out that local body elections had not been held in the region for the last two decades, and land grabbing and the issuing of mineral exploration licenses to non-locals were ongoing.
The protesters unanimously passed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of cybercrime notices against political workers and the dismissal of the alleged illegal cases against Awami Action Committee members.
