Washington, March 21 – Pakistan would no longer be a safe haven for its Shia citizens in the event of a full-scale war between Iran and surrounding Arab countries. Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan, which is under Pakistani control (PoGB), could secure a dignified life by breaking free from the “dogma of the Two-Nation theory and rejoining India,” a report highlights.
Writing for Global Strat View based in Washington, Senge Sering, founder of the Washington-based Gilgit Baltistan Studies, argues that it is time to prevent Pakistan from exploiting religion as a “smoke screen” to mask its savage agenda of harming the cultural identity and appropriating the natural resources of PoGB.
“This year, traffic disruptions on the Karakoram Highway will be caused by more than just snow avalanches and landslides. The Karakoram Highway runs through Gilgit-Baltistan, which is under Pakistani control, and has been severely impacted by the aftermath of the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei. On March 1, the Pakistani military fired shots, killing 18 people, including eight children, to counter the violent Khamenei loyalists who were roaming the streets of Gilgit and Skardu. A curfew was subsequently imposed, which helped to calm the simmering tensions to some extent. Authorities claim that the demonstrators killed two soldiers and set fire to several military structures,” Sering detailed.
He noted that Pakistani law enforcement agencies are actively hunting and detaining dozens of residents in PoGB, including individuals suspected of having links with "Iran-funded" religious proxies.
“The police are raiding people's homes in the middle of the night, disregarding the sanctity of Ramadan, and transferring detainees to clandestine torture cells. At the moment, anyone who raises public awareness about state-led violations or has the ability to mobilize people on the streets is a target for arrest. According to media sources, authorities have detained well-known political and cultural activists such as Advocate Ehsan Ali, Engineer Mehboob, Advocate Nafees, Fida Isar, Taruf Abbas, Sheikh Yusuf, Nazar Kazmi, and Shabbir Mayar, with the aim of instilling fear in society,” the expert stated.
He said that these steps were intended to ease escalating domestic unrest, with both the USA and Saudi Arabia expecting the Pakistani military to assist in impending ground operations against Iran.
According to the report, the Pakistani military provides essential intelligence and analytical support to its Arab and Western allies while employing a massive contingent of media activists to influence public opinion and justify attacks on Iran.
“The media is using domestic anti-Hindu sentiments to portray Iran as a villain for forming a defense and strategic partnership with India, similar to the one that Pakistan recently signed with Saudi Arabia. Pakistani media have also criticized Iran for allowing Indian ships to sail through the Hormuz Strait, while Pakistan must depend on the Yanbu port on the Red Sea for oil supplies. Many Pakistanis in positions of power believe that a media campaign will allow them to prove their loyalty to the Saudis and secure funds without engaging in an actual war,” it noted.