People protest in Gilgit Baltistan against Pak Army's forced land acquisition for CPEC projects

Gilgit-Baltistan [PoK], April 9 (ANI): People in the Pakistan Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan are holding protests against Pakistan as large chunks of areas belonging to villages have been given to the army for setting up various infrastructures for their new security unit created for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
People are also raising their voices against the Pakistani government for forcibly taking away the ancestral lands of the locals and leasing them out to private contractors working with the Pakistani army. The people have taken to the streets demanding the revocation of licenses given to the private contractors, reported Islam Khabar.
During the rally, the protesters said their region is a disputed territory and Pakistan was an illegal occupier and hence had no right to lease out their natural resources without the consent of the local communities.
Major protests are being held in Thak Das and Maqpoon Das areas.
The area has been razed to the ground, destroying houses, cattle shed, farms and other living spaces of traditional mountain villages.
In a bid to give shape to these infrastructure projects the Pakistani regime is trying to silence the villagers who are protesting. The Pakistani government has been ruthlessly terrorising the villagers, issuing warrants to over 200 villagers for protesting against the army.
The region is witnessing protests frequently and not a month passes in this beautiful mountainous area without local communities breaking out into protests, as per Islam Khabar.
This is not only happening in Gilgit-Baltistan but also in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and other cities where many youths from Gilgit Baltistan live and study. (ANI)