Historic general strike

Thousands of residents of Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) gathered at Yadgar Chowk (square) in Gilgit city on December 1 to protest against the cuts in wheat subsidies. It was the culminations of weeks of preparations that led to one of the most successful general strikes in the history of the occupied territory.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Awami (people’s) Action Committee and the traders’ association had jointly issued a call for a general strike and a day-of-action which was received by the local population with great enthusiasm.

All of the ten district of PoGB observed a complete shutter down strike and no public transport was running. Lawyers also joined in and all bar councils in PoGB remained closed and lawyers did not appear in courts.

Demands brought forward by the leaders of the protest movement against cuts in wheat subsidies now includes reinstatement of state subject rule which bars nonresidents from buying property, making PoGB a partner in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), pay the royalties of Diamer-Bhasha dam to the PoGB government, opening of traditional trade routes with India, as well as transfer of control of all mineral
and natural resources of PoGB to the people of the territory.

The political upheaval in PoGB is largely focused around demands for the reversal of cuts in wheat subsidies. However, by including other demands its seems that the momentum is gathering for demands related to more autonomy and could lead to a struggle for total independence from Pakistan.

Likewise, in Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) the civil disobedience movement against taxes on electricity bills continues to gather pace. Following the boycott call from Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee to boycott electricity bills, hundreds of thousands of consumers have refused to pay their electricity bills causing the PoJK government a loss of revenue which amounts in billions of rupees.
In PoJK the civil disobedience movement has expanded on their demands too which now include reinstatement of subsidies, free electricity of up to 400 megawatts, control of dams and hydropower projects including around 30 grid stations and investment in basic infrastructure of the occupied territory.

The good news from PoGB is that the devastating split that took place in Awami Action Committee a year ago has now been reversed and both factions of Awami Action Committee have been merged into a much larger protest campaign group.

Two months ago a similar development took place in PoJK where all independent Awami Action Committee groups agreed to join hands and formed JK Joint Awami Action Committee. Since that happened electricity boycott campaign in PoJK and anti-atrocity movement in PoGB have, for sure, become a much more effective tool of resistance than ever before in the history of these oppressed people.

Furthermore, social media is also playing a major role in spreading information about the appalling living conditions, plunder of natural resources by Pakistan, tight control over all aspects of economy including water and forest resources, land grab by Pakistan military and much more.

One wouldn’t be surprised if Awami Action Committees of both occupied territories join hands against Pakistan by establishing a united front and take the struggle to the next level.
However, for that to happen it is imperative that both Awami Action Committees agree on a one-point agenda. This agenda has to come as a realisation that under Pakistani occupation the relations between the
former and PoJK-GB essentially remain that of a coloniser and an oppressed people.

It is not possible and under no circumstances, that Pakistan will budge down from its plunder of PoJK-GB.

At least 13 types of different taxes have been imposed on electricity bills in PoJK. The price of a kilogram of wheat in PoGB has been increased by 150% from Rs 22 to Rs 52. Meanwhile, the puppet governments of the occupied territories continue to enjoy perks and privileges that common man or women find hard to believe.

On the last day of the month of November a session of PoJK legislative assembly was called after a lapse of 5 months. And guess what did they discuss during the session?

Not a word of condemnation came from members of the legislative assembly regarding taxes on electricity bills and the fact that employees of various sectors of economy hadn’t been paid salaries for months or
even a word about pensioners awaiting payments was uttered.

On the contrary, a bill was presented which asked for a Rs 50,000 monthly rent allowance for each member, Rs 10,000 monthly inflation allowance and a Rs 25,000 monthly entertainment allowance for each one of them.

And to add insult to injury all former prime ministers of PoJK were to be given a 3000 cc car, 400 liters of fuel a month allowance, a driver, one bodyguard and three policemen for his security. All of these privileges issued to former PoJK prime ministers will be for life and paid by the government of Azad Kashmir.

The bill is now passed and the session closed. It is under these circumstance and evidence of total disregard for public welfare that should bring Awami Action Committees in both PoJK and PoGB to only one conclusion: unless total independence is gained from Pakistan we will never be able to become masters of their destiny.

The general strike of December 1 in PoGB should serve Pakistan as a stark warning that things can very quickly move in a different direction if it continues to test the patience of the oppressed people of PoJK-GB.

BY DR AMJAD AYUB MIRZA

Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a broadcaster from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in the UK.