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Despite the restoration of old wheat prices, the sit-in protests continued in Gilgit-Baltistan over the issue of the Finance Bill, Revenue Act, and Health Card, Pakistan vernacular media, Daily K2 reported.
After heavy protests against wheat prices, the first round of negotiations between the protestors and the Pakistani authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan in the Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) region, both parties agreed on restoring the old prices of wheat. A five-member negotiation committee was formed under the chairmanship of Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbarkhan. The first round of negotiations between the government and the dharna leaders started late on Sunday night and continued till 2:30 am (local time). Other protestors who couldn't reach there also joined the meeting via video conferencing. In the initial phase, the Pakistani authorities announced restoring the old prices of wheat, but backed down, on the Finance Bill, Revenue Act, Health Card and other issues. It was agreed to continue the negotiation process, according to vernacular media. In the negotiations, it was decided that the wheat quota for Gilgit-Baltistan would be 15 lakh sacks. However, the Awami Action Committee Gilgit has announced that they won't be ending the sit-in until the Finance Bill Revenue Act is abolished and the health card is restored. Late on Sunday night, the talks between the Pakistan government and protestors in Gilgit Baltistan were attended by provincial ministers Fathullah Shamsul Haque, Lon Haji Rahmat Khaliq, Iman Shah Sarwar Shah, Hussain Shah and others on behalf of the government. Ghulam Hussain Athar, the head of the All-Party Alliance, has congratulated the entire nation on the acceptance of the demands and said that their persistence forced the government to bow down, adding that the Pakistani government has "collapsed" in front of the people's power, Daily K2 reported. He said that the protestors fully support the Charter of Demand of the Awami Action Committee, but warned that if the Charter of Demand is not approved, then there will be sit-ins and demonstrations. The head of the all-party alliance further said that they have given time to the Pakistan government to withdraw the Finance Bill and Revenue Act, vernacular media K2 reported. "The demand for withdrawing the price increase has been met, the rest of the demands have not been met, and we have not ended the sit-in," he added. (ANI)
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