GILGIT:  The issuance of permits to foreigners for mining precious stones has triggered unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), as people consider the move an attempt to rob them of their rights and property.
 
“We warn the government of dire consequences if it allows mining rights to people other than those from G-B,” Raja Azam, an MQM member in the G-B Legislative Assembly (GBLA), told reporters on Wednesday. He said that he had raised the issue in the assembly too, but the government took it lightly.
 
Following speculation in the local media this week that a foreign interest had been issued a mining license, politicians from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Skardu warned their own government that issuing permits to foreigners will lead to people standing up against them.
 
“Issuing permits to foreigners is like allowing them to rob the G-B people,” said the PPP leaders including Lumberdar Yousaf, Fida Hussain, Abdullah Haidery and others. They asked the government to immediately stop Mohsin Industries — a once-banned Korean company that was awarded the contract earlier this month — from extracting precious stones, which they felt is the sole property of G-B.
 
It is believed that over 500 varieties of gemstones including amethysts, aquamarines, spinels, corundums, emeralds, garnets, peridots, rubies, pyrites, moonstone, fluorite, pargasite, quartz and tourmalines are hidden away in the mountains of G-B. Experts blame a lack of technical expertise and equipment behind the improper utilisation of the resources.
 
Mohsin Industries was earlier banned by the government in G-B after intelligence agencies had suspicions over its activities in the region.
 
However critics believe the fresh permission for the company will mean it will expand its operations to all seven districts of G-B, encroaching on the livelihoods of a number of people associated with the industry.
 
In view of the hue and cry over the issue, the GBLA also discussed the issue this month as all the members of various parties unanimously passed a resolution against the extraction of gemstones by foreign parties.
 
The issue was also taken up by G-B Metals, Minerals and Gems Association, which said that a “nonlocal mineral mafia” has blocked access for locals to the gemstone trade in G-B, adding to poverty and joblessness in the region.
 
Advocate Shahbaz Khan, chairperson of the association, and former assistant inspector general of police Hashmatullah, who is vice president of the association, said that the mafia controls minerals spread over 40,000 square kilometres through various mining and exploration licenses.
 
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2011.

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NOTE: The only legal way to deal all the legal, judicial, democratic and economical issue of Gilgit Baltistan is to impliment UNCIP resolutions. The indigenous people of Gilgit Baltistan will ne no more in the history of man kind unless Pakistanis are expelled from this resourceful and unique cultural region.The neglegency and ignorance of our elders in the past has brought the 2 million people on the edge of sword, where we are unable to take one glass of water without permission of Punjabistan and its forces and unable to take breath and to take one step freely. See the Pakistani so-called Empowerment and better governance of Zardari  ORDER of 9th Septemebr 2009 issued by a Pakistani clerck Muhammad Ikram Deputy Secretary Islamabd page 4 Article 7 "FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT" SUBJECT TO ANY REASONABLE RESTRICTIOPNS IMPOSED BY LAW IN THE PUBLCI INTEREST, EVERY CITIZEN SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO MOVE FREELY THROUGHOPUT THE GILGIT BALTISTAN AND TO RESIDE AND SETTLE IN ANY PART THEREOF.

In practice the pro-Pakistani people and Pakistani national do enjoy the absolute right of freedom of movement and no order is restricting their activities unless they have good relation with ISI and Pakistani forces. Every restriction ion indigenous people is term as reasonable and in public interest. The public of Gilgit Baltistan heve never asked their interest for restriction by any democratic way which is practiced in the democratic countries.The Pakistani people have the right over the resources of this disputed land, where  indigenous people are pushed behind the walls. This is the lawless land of the world, where people have no right of vote and have no acess to Justice. The current vote for the so-called Assembly is like a drama of a theatre, where the so-called GB Assembly have the right to present its demands to Pakistani masters by resolution not by legislation. Neither this Assembly nor the whole area is protected by any law except UNCIP resolution which demands the withdrawal of Pakistan forces and its civilains, but nobody cares this UN resolution.The only way for the indigenous people of Gilgit Baltistan is to show their forefathers like behaviour and push back Pakistani to thier ancestral home as soon as possible otherwise this terrorist nationand robbers will spare nothing for us.