Residents of Shigar District in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have voiced strong opposition to proposed legislation concerning the exploitation of mineral resources, as well as Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s plans to utilize the region’s natural wealth to address the country’s debt issues.
According to reports from Pamir Times, a protest rally was organized under the “Protection of Mountains, Pastures, Minerals, and Lands” movement, starting from Hussaini Chowk in Shigar. The rally witnessed participation from various religious leaders and political activists.
Throughout the demonstration, several prominent speakers, including Allama Agha Ali Rizvi (MWM Gilgit-Baltistan), Syed Abbas Mousavi, Syed Taha Shamsuddin, former assembly member Imran Nadeem, Sheikh Hassan Johari, and Sheikh Mushtaq Hakimi, delivered strong condemnations of the legislation. They referred to it as a violation of the rights of the people. According to them, the government’s poor decisions have led to a situation where public protests have become necessary.
Pamir Times quoted the leaders as saying that “the mountains, pastures, and rivers belong to the locals” and warned that these resources “cannot be leased or transferred without the consent of the people.” They emphasized that PoGB’s disputed constitutional status should prevent any unilateral exploitation of its natural resources.
The speakers made it clear that while the protest remained peaceful for now, any disregard for the people’s demands could escalate the movement. They criticized the government’s policies and declared that “any use of force would encounter stiff resistance at all levels.” Protest leaders also announced that the local community is ready to “shut down all surveying and mineral extraction operations” unless the controversial bill is withdrawn. They harshly criticized elected members of parliament, accusing them of “representing themselves as agents of the government and not agents of the people.”
Pakistan’s extraction of PoGB’s minerals is seen as part of a broader trend of exploiting the region’s natural resources without providing corresponding benefits to the local population. Concerns raised by residents focus on inadequate consultation, the unfair distribution of profits, and environmental degradation resulting from unregulated exploitation.