Shia Cleric's Arrest Sparks Protests as Gilgit-Baltistan Heads Toward Brink

Located in the north of Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has been in the spotlight for many reasons. Part of the broader Kashmir region and home to 12 of the world's highest mountains, it is rich in important minerals such as gold and emeralds. Moreover, the region has extraordinary scenic beauty, diverse ancient communities and languages.

Despite living in such a beautiful place, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan however, seem to have many problems since recently tens of thousands from different cities took to the streets.

For months now, there have been reports suggesting that an ongoing decline of Gilgit-Baltistan’s political and constitutional autonomy is giving rise to a serious economic and financial crisis. It has also been said that the Pakistani federal government has not been providing the needed support.

Sputnik India explores the rise of sectarianism in Gilgit-Baltistan, the plight of its civilians as they grapple with economic strife, and why the country's media is avoiding any discussion about it?

What Triggered the Recent Riots?

The recent protests in the cities of Skardu and Diamer in Gilgit-Baltistan were fueled by the arrest of a Shia cleric, Agha Baqir al-Hussaini last week. The region is a Shia majority, and his arrest ignited an outcry from the Shia community as tens of thousands of people flooded the streets.

Al-Hussaini has a huge following in the community since he is a known humanitarian. He has helped resolve the drinking water crisis and was involved in various projects for the betterment of the population. A few weeks ago during an Ulema (scholars) conference, Al-Hussaini allegedly made some remarks which infuriated the Sunni community of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Tens of thousands of Sunnis in the city of Diamer and other Sunni majority towns rallied for Al-Hussaini's arrest. The demonstrators blocked the Karakoram Highway for two days, which resulted in disruption of food and medical supplies. Videos circulating on social media show thousands of people chanting slogans and threatening violence if he was not arrested.

Following that public outcry, an arrest warrant for Al-Hussaini was given the green light by the Senate, and he was taken into custody by Pakistani security forces some days ago. Al-Hussaini's arrest is a serious matter because if he is found guilty of blasphemy, he could receive capital punishment.

In counter-riots across the GB region, tens of thousands of Shias poured into the streets demanding the cleric's immediate release.

All the while, Pakistani media have been criticized by many renowned journalists, such as Syed Muzammil, for staying quiet.

Speaking in Urdu to his hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers, the journalist explained that there is growing discontent amongst the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and even minor issues are made into big ones in the name of sectarianism. But because this is happening in this region and not in the main cities of Punjab or Sindh, the media is treating it as a minor issue and not putting it in the spotlight for the public to see.

Religious Discord Leading to Violence

Sputnik India discussed the matter with a former military official from Islamabad, who had previously traveled to Gilgit-Baltistan many times. He asked to remain anonymous.

"Pakistan's former prime minister Zia-ul-Haq sowed the seeds of hatred and sectarianism back in the 80s when he brought the concept of radical Islamisation to the country. That divided the region of Gilgit-Baltistan because it is home to people of many diverse cultures and sects: Shia, Sunni, Noorbakhshia, and Ismailis communities are now at odds with one another. There are many no-go areas in many cities of GB. If you are a Shia you'll avoid going to Sunni majority areas and vice-versa," the official explained.

Neglected and Isolated?

What should be noted is that things in Gilgit-Baltistan had been rocky for months, even before Al-Hussaini's arrest. Much of the population thre wanted the territory to become completely integrated with Pakistan as a fifth province in the hope of getting better opportunities and quality of life, all the while opposing integration with the rest of the Kashmir region.

At present, it is an "administrative territory"— in contrast to Pakistan's other four provinces. The Pakistani government, however, has rejected calls to grant it provincial status on the grounds that such a move would threaten Pakistan's demands regarding the entire dispute over Kashmir.

However, the civilians feel that the government is neglecting them amid crushing inflation, an economic crisis, power outages, low incomes, insufficient food supplies, poor healthcare and other issues.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani government has lashed out at social media videos and reports coming out of Gilgit-Baltistan as "fake news".

"The reports of unrest are baseless; no shots were fired, no damage to public and private property did occur. The protests are a natural political democratic response to local issues, which were managed peacefully in Gilgit-Baltistan. Gilgit Baltistan remains a heaven of peace and harmony," Pakistan's interim Information Minister, Murtaza Solangi, wrote on X (former Twitter).

His statements came shortly after mobile Internet services were suspended in the area.

Nevertheless, many political analysts and senior journalists like Syed Muzammil are saying that the Gilgit-Baltistan situation is indeed dire as thousands of students and tourists from other provinces are stranded there amid the uncertainty. Flights to the region have been canceled, and major roads are blocked, with food supplies not reaching the population.

"Hundreds of thousands of civilians are upset and on the streets, chanting slogans saying that they will march to Kargil, a strategic town in Indian Kashmir. So if tomorrow bloodshed and violence erupts, who will come to their help? Who will rescue the people? These are the questions we should be asking," Muzammil concluded.

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