On Friday, massive protests erupted in the Kharmang area of Gilgit-Baltistan against the Pakistani government. The demonstrators in the region chanted anti-Pakistani government slogans to raise voice against the illegal taxes. The locals demanded the opening of the Kargil Skardu road and protested against the alleged land grabbing by the Pakistani administration. The demonstrations took place on Friday afternoon near Masjid Gohari Kharmang at 1:30 pm.
Different parts of the region witnessed shutter-down strikes against the Pakistani regime. Several markets were closed following the anti-government protest in the region. People are protesting against the imposition of heavy taxes — the “Khalsa sarkar law” and several other issues. The Bandh in the region was called by the Anjuman-e-Tarijaan group. In the video accessed by Republic, the sea of crowds can be seen chanting slogans against the Pakistani government.
Pakistani government snatching the resources of the people
This is not the first time the people of the region took to the streets to protest against the draconian laws imposed by Pakistan. After the administration neglected the plight of the people in the region, they raised their voices of dissent against the government. For decades the people of the region and their plights have been grossly neglected by the Pakistani government.
The controversial “Khalsa Sarkar” taxation laws were introduced in October and remained a long-pending issue in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan. In October it was reported that Pakistan has imposed taxes on at least 135 items in the regions making the daily lives of the people extremely hard. While the common people of the region struggle due to the draconian laws, the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan are deflecting accountability over the issue.__republicworld.com
