Islamabad, Jan 4 (NationPress) The GB Youth Movement organized a demonstration in the Chinarbagh area of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) opposing the appointment of controversial figures in the so-called caretaker administration, as reported by local media on Sunday.

Members from political factions and civil society also declared protests in the districts of Ghanche, Nagar, and Shigar due to inadequate representation in the so-called caretaker cabinet, as mentioned by Pakistan's esteemed daily, Dawn.

The demonstrators asserted that numerous controversial individuals were added to the so-called cabinet, emphasizing that including such figures was an attempt to manipulate the upcoming general elections, which they deemed unacceptable.

Protesters demanded the inclusion of educated youth and unbiased individuals in the cabinet.

They announced a sit-in protest until the appointments of the so-called cabinet members are revoked. During the demonstration, participants obstructed River Road in Chinarbagh, leading to the arrest of eight protesters, including the chairman of the GB Youth Movement.

A previous report indicated that forthcoming elections in PoGB would hold little significance unless the region possesses its own provisional constitution and the Assembly gains authority to legislate over resources.

Nationalists have called for the restoration of state subject rule, legislative independence, and reunification with India to ensure cultural preservation, control over resources, and democratic self-determination.

Locals continue to remind Pakistan of the United Nations Security Council resolution, which mandates the withdrawal of all Pakistani nationals from Gilgit-Baltistan to resolve the conflict with India, as articulated by Senge Sering, founder of the Institute for Gilgit Baltistan Studies, based in the US, in a report from the International Centre for Peace Studies.

The Pakistani colonial authorities have dismissed these warnings, appropriating local lands and appointing their own bureaucracy to conduct sham elections to select representatives on behalf of the area's residents.

The report from the International Centre for Peace Studies stated, "Previously, nationalists boycotted elections in Gilgit-Baltistan because the local electoral commission mandates that all candidates sign a loyalty oath to Pakistan. Nationalists argue that since Gilgit-Baltistan is not legally a part of Pakistan and exists beyond its constitutional framework, compelling local residents to pledge allegiance to a foreign nation is not only unethical and unconstitutional but also contravenes Islamic principles."

"However, this time, the nationalist coalition has decided to present candidates in all constituencies. They have resolved to participate in the process, as such a façade effectively empowers Pakistani proxies to fill the political void, manage funds, and misappropriate genuine national identity," it stated.

"The patrons within the military establishment have historically facilitated Pakistani political parties such as the Muslim League, Tehrik-i-Insaf, and People's Party to dominate electoral politics in the region, establishing local governance systems that serve as a platform for illegal settlements by Pakistani Pashtuns, Hindkowals, and Punjabis in the occupied territory," the report added.

After enduring deprivation and oppression for 78 years, many locals have succumbed to Pakistani schemes. They are severing their own roots, failing to recognize that both Shia and Sunni settlers from Pakistan lack loyalty to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Instead of relying on Pakistani Shias and Sunnis for survival, locals should unite to compel Pakistan to adhere to the UNCIP resolutions and withdraw from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), according to the report. Nationalists persist in their demand for the reinstatement of state subject rule (SSR) in Gilgit-Baltistan.

"The forthcoming Assembly elections will hold no significance until Gilgit-Baltistan has its own provisional constitution and the Assembly possesses the authority to legislate over resources and means of production and collect transit tolls and taxes," the author remarked in the report.