GILGIT: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led federal government has tried to mislead the national as well as the international community about the status of Gilgit-Baltistan by illegally introducing the so-called self-empowerment and good governance order of 2009.Speaking at the third annual convention of Balawaristan National Students Organization (BNSO) here, nationalist and student leaders said bids and conspiracies to eliminate the separate and unique identity of Gilgit-Baltistan started in 1840 which reached its climax in 1947.

Pakistan has since then continued the exploitation of the people of the region and plundered its natural resources without any check and complete disregards to the wishes of the masses and its own commitments made to the international community on the issue, they regretted. They said the rulers of Pakistan had gone one step ahead in 2009 by announcing yet another dubious self-empowerment and good governance order in the region, which Islamabad had no legal right to introduce in the first place.They said the rulers of Pakistan had also continued their conspiracies to divide the masses of the region on sectarian and regional lines so that they can plunder their resources without resistance from the locals.Those who spoke on the occasion included Labour Party Gilgit Baltistan chief organizer Ehsan Ali Advocate, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front's regional president Ziaul Haq, Karakoram National Front (KNM) central leader Mumtaz Hussain Nagari Advocate, Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement chairman Manzoor Hussain Parwana,Balawaristan National Front (BNF)'s Safdar Ali, Human Rights GB coordination Israruddin Israr, foremr BNSO president Faizullah Faraq,BNF leaders Shahid Hussain, Basharat Shafi and Mohd jammal Tahir.Tthey said under a conspiracy, the identity of the pople of Gilgit-Baltistan had been damaged and those rasing voice for the people of the region were being termed traitors and anti-state elements.

The speakets said that in reality traitors were those who had been working for the interests of others and exploiting the basic political, economic and human rights of the local people at the behest of their masters sitting somewhere else outside the region.The speakers said since 1947, the masses of Gilgit-Baltistan had been hoodwinked in the name of different packages and kept deprived of their due rights. "We have also been deprived of our natural resources as a result the region still remains backward despite having abunadant of natural resources." They also said the latest package given by Pakistan was totally illegal, unconstitutional and had no legal cover. By introducing this set up, Pakistan has not only tried to hoodwink the locals but also the international community on the issue which was yet to be resolved under the UN resolutions on Kashmir.They said since 1947, law of the jungle remained enforced in the region and without taking the masses of the region Islamabad was imposing its policies on the region.

They said the so called local representatives had become tools at the hands of Islamnabad rulers and working to fulfill outsiders' agenda in the region. They said the door of education was being closed on the youth of the region and allocation of 35 per cent in educational institutions and only 4 per cent in public service commission for them was a joke with the local people. They said the kitchen cabinet of the region was busy in saving its own perks and privileges and had no concerns for the problems of the people of the area.They said by violating the resolutions of the UN, Pakistan was exploiting the rights of the region, adding Pakistan-based political parties had been given a free hand to continue their activities in the region while the locals were being suppressed and even termed traitors. They asked human rights organizations to take notice of the situation.At the end, the newly elected office-bearers of BNSO were also administered oath and later a resolution was passed condemning harassment of the residents of Diamer for protesting against the construction of Diamer Dam.The resolution also called for opening up of new educational institutions and restoration of the earlier 40 per cent marks needed for entry test in medical colleges of Punjab for the students of GB.The resolution also asked Pakistan to stop its bid to change the demography of the region and deprive the residents of the royalty of the proposed Diamer Dam.It also demanded reopening up old routes with Indian Kashmir and asked the government to construct the Tajikistan route from Gilgit-Baltistan. The government was also asked to follow the policy of no taxation without representation and stop levying taxes in the region.It also demanded to separate GB from FATA in quota under the Federal Public Service Commission. It also condemned the recent appellate court observation terming GB integral part of Pakistan.