One must thank the ATC judge Raja Shahbaz Khan, who handed down 26 years imprisonment sentence to Mir Shakilur Rehman, Veena Malik, her husband and Shaista Lodhi, for triggering a national debate on the legal status of Gilgit-Baltistan and the judicial system in, what the locals describe as the constitutional orphan region. A blessing in disguise! By sentencing the four people, Raja Shahbaz, if nothing else, got massive media coverage and also, inadvertently, triggered a debate about the legality of his decision, its relevance at the national level and his court’s jurisdiction. Some have described his decision as an “overreach” of authority, while others are questioning its implementability, quoting reasons related to the difference in the governance systems of Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. The legality of the decision notwithstanding, the debate it has generated about the status of Gilgit-Baltistan, and its judicial system or the lack of it, should be taken seriously by the national media, analysts, legal fraternity and constitutional experts. Apart from having a weak and vulnerable judicial system, the Gilgit-Baltistan region also does not have any representation in the national parliament, National Finance Commission, the Council of Common Interests and other institutions mandated to ensure equitable and just distribution of resources. Pakistan needs to realize that it is unwise and unjust to continue the exploitation of Gilgit-Baltistan’s resources by building economic corridors and energy corridors with China, while simultaneously denying the region’s populace the rights of citizenship, or the right of self-determination. It is hoped that the ongoing debate about Gilgit-Baltistan will not be muffled down, and it will lead to some serious reflections and course-correction at the national policy level.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 03:51:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015