To The Honorable Representatives
New Hampshire,
United States of America

Mr. Robert J. Giuda (Rep), Mr. Henry McElroy (Rep), Mr. Michael Albert Balboni (Rep), Mr. Frank V. Sapareto (Senator), Ms. Kimberley Dionne (Rep), Mr. Saghir A. Tahir

Sub: Hampshire Legislators Visit to PoK

I have gone through the news item about your visit to a small part of Pakistan Occupied part of Jammu & Kashmir (PoK) published on 26th Feb. 2003 in Daily Dawn, Karachi, Pakistan. First of all, I appreciate your demand for a just and speedy solution of Jammu & Kashmir (J & K) conflict. Secondly, we the indigenous people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) were extremely disappointed by the one sided visit and one sided views of your delegation by ignoring the big (7 times bigger than PoK) portion of disputed part of J & K, Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) .

I am also sending the list of World Record Sedition charges framed by the occupier regime of Pakistan against more than 150 political leaders (including me) and activists of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan). As a result we may be awarded death sentence by the Pakistani imposed Court (which has been established on contract basis), to terrorize the local people, whereas not a single case has been registered against APHC and other people in their armed struggle against India. We need your kind impartial attention to these fundamental facts, by visiting Balawaristan to ascertain our grievances against the State of Pakistan.

As far as the killing and shelling of innocent people are concerned, it is a reciprocal daily routine between Indian and Paki Armies. It will go on till Pakistan and it’s dreaded intelligence agency (ISI) continues to breed, cultivate, train and infiltrate Wahabi terrorists into Indian side of J &K. This notorious agency wants to change the demography within Pakistan itself by forcing Muslims of other sects (Shias, Ismailia, Noor Bakhshi and Brelvi Sooni) to embrace Wahabism, for which they have let loose the reign of terror upon innocent people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan), by terming them as infidels, like Christians, Jews, Hindus etc.

Now, I would like to highlight some fundamental differences in the Indian and Pakistan occupied J & K. "The people of Indian side of J & K have access to justice. J & K people can appeal in the High Court of J & K and have the right to appeal in the Supreme Court of India. The people of Indian side of J & K have the right to elect their representatives in J & K Assembly and have also right to elect their representative in the Indian Assembly (Lok Sabha) and Senate (Rajya Sabha). Besides that Indian government has reserved seats for the people of Balawaristan and PoK in the J & K Assembly and Lok Sabha. The people of Indian side of J & K have the right to free movement, the right of write and the right of speech. The people of Indian side of J & K are enjoying the State Subject Rule, which protects their Property, Culture, Economy by forbidding other Indian citizens from acquiring property. No outsider can buy property or get employment in J & K."

Pakistan has also adopted a similar setup in it’s occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), but has played a trick of great magnitude by denying equal rights to the people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan), though it constitutes a part rather a bigger part of PoK.

Unlike Indian part of J & K and PoK, the 2 million indigenous people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) have no right to access the Justice. Neither we have any High Court nor we have been given the right to appeal in any Pakistan High Court or Supreme Court against Human Rights violation or death sentences, if any indigenous person is awarded by Pakistani imposed Court. Our fundamental and basic human rights are denied. The people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) have no right of vote to elect their representatives. We don’t have any Assembly of our own. Neither we have the right to elect our representatives for Pakistan Assembly, nor we have the right of even voting.

The people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) have no right to write, speech and free movement. More than 150 people of this disputed land are facing death Sentences under Sedition Charges, when they dare to write and Speak against Pakistani occupation and it’s atrocities. Recently Mr. Hyder Shah Rezvi an ex student and prominent political leader of Baltistan, Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) was arrested, tortured and then sent to a torture cell in Chilas, when he peacefully protested against the occupation of Pakistan on 1st Nov. 2002. His bail has also been denied by the imposed court of Gilgit. On 18 August 2002 Ghazi Anwar a political leader of Karakorum National Movement (KNM) was fired by Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI), when he was leaving his home in Oshikhandaas about 15 Kilometer from Gilgit. He narrowly escaped but his colleague was seriously injured. Local Police refused to file a case against ISI culprits and rather threatened Ghazi Anwar and his family of dire consequences. After that incident he is missing and no one knows his whereabouts. We believe that he has either been kidnapped by ISI or has been liquidated, which is the ISI way of neutralizing the nationalists. State Subject Rule which was introduced by the non-Muslim Maharaja of J & K to protect the people from external extortion/exploitation, much before Pakistani occupation, was also snatched away from us by Pakistan, due to it’s religious and sectarian differences. As a result Pakistan has settled it’s citizens, who are mostly drug and arm smugglers and terrorists, to turn the indigenous people in to minority and thus pave the way for securing majority vote in case of plebiscite. If plebiscite does not take place then Pakistan has the intention to grab the area by using these mafia/terrorists against the people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan). This was the evil intention that Pakistan sent our youth (NLI Soldiers) to Kargil heights in 1999 in revenge, when civilian youth refused to follow the instigation of ISI to cross the line of control to carry terrorist activities. As a result of Indian retaliation, more than 1000 NLI youth were killed, hundreds became disabled and 2 dozen are still missing. Many of our innocent civilians killed, injured and became homeless, in the retaliation of Indian forces, when Pakistan had sent foreign terrorists through Baltistan and Astor borders in to Indian side of J & K.

As far legitimacy of Pakistan over J & K is concerned, one should go through the pages of history. This is Pakistan which had signed an agreement with Maharaja, the then ruler of J & K State in Oct. 1947, which is called STANDSTILL agreement. It means, Pakistan is the first country which had accepted the authority of Maharaja over the whole J & K State. Maharaja later acceded the State of J & K with India, when Pakistan invaded J & K in violation of Stand Still agreement. In the light of Pakistan’s recognition of the Maharaja’s authority at that time, Pakistan has lost it’s legal and moral claim over J &K, because the recognized Authority (Maharaja of J & K) had acceded with India, by a written agreement with the then Governor General of India Lord Mountbetan.

Finally, I appeal to you as well as to US Senators/Congressmen and other democratic people of the civilized world to concentrate and study all parts of J & K conflict particularly Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan), which has been facing the agony of SLAVERY at the hands of Pakistani fundamentalist Army/establishment. We also appeal the civilized world to restrain Pakistan from using J & K issue as religious tool, otherwise religious fundamentalism and terrorism cannot be finished in the South Asia and rest of the world. This is Pakistan which has to withdraw it’s forces and civilians from the whole State of J & K including Balawaristan first not India, according UN resolutions. This is also the moral duty of US and other world Community to force Pakistan to withdraw it’s forces and civilians by complying UN and UNSC resolution of 13 Aug 1948.

Finally, I would like to convey my disappointment over your visit to PoK as you had not cared to visit/meet the bigger area of J & K dispute ie Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan) and it’s leaders. You had allowed yourself to be taken for a ride by Pakistani generals and bureaucrats and their puppet Prime Minister/ Ministers. I have immense faith in the American legislatures/leaders, because of your strong roots in democracy and rule of law. I shall be grateful, if you could pay attention to the plight of the 2 million innocent, indigenous people of Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan), who are systematically being neutralized and kept slaves even in this 21st century. It is therefore requested that before arriving at any conclusion regarding J & K problem, you may kindly consider visiting all the concern parts, particularly Balawaristan (Pakistan Occupied Gilgit Baltistan).

Abdul Hamid Khan
Chairman
Balawaristan National Front (BNF)
Head Off: Majini Mahla, Gilgit, Balawaristan
(Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan)
EMAIL: balawaristan@usa.com