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Millat Jafaria Gilgit-Baltistan leader Agha Syed Rahat Hussain Al-Husseini urged the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, organisations, and associations to fully participate in the sit-ins organised to stand for demands related to the wheat price hike, as reported by Pakistan vernacular media, the Daily K2.
While addressing the gathering on Friday in Gilgit-Baltitstan, he said that he salutes the people of the region who have been protesting for their rights for many days in the bitter cold weather. "I would request that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, organisations, associations and people involved in various committees fully participate in the sit-ins and cooperate with the organisers," he said. Moreover, Al-Husseini said that the Pakistan government should negotiate with the leaders of the Awami Action Committee and find a solution to their problems. He further added that, otherwise, they should resign and join the sit-in with them, according to Daily K2. Al-Husseini highlighted that, if needed, he will participate in the sit-in. The Leader of Millat Jafaria said that the Charter of Demand of the Awami Action Committee is the voice of the heart of every individual in Gilgit-Baltistan for which serious steps are needed to be taken. Furthermore, he emphasised that the people of Nagar and Baltistan have solved the wheat problem through protests and the people of Gilgit also have to come out to fulfil their remaining demands, Daily K2 reported. The leaders of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) on Friday declared specific demands for the provincial government of Gilgit Baltistan. These demands from the leaders of AAC have come to light when the area has been witnessing several protests against the provincial administration. The leaders of the AAC while speaking on the demands said that "our first demand from the administration is that they give us a guarantee that they will not revoke the wheat subsidy in the future". The leaders have also demanded the reinstatement of the health card, a subsidised health benefits card that was given to the people of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and was revoked from GB some time back. The leaders also demanded that the Finance Act of Pakistan must be revoked, because of this act, the revenue generated from the intensive use of natural resources of GB is not being given to the people of GB. Notably, after a month-long struggle and protests in Gilgit Baltistan over a wheat price hike, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the interim cabinet agreed to continue providing subsidies to the people of the region by slashing the budgets of some major ministries given strict International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions on subsidies, Dawn News reported. (ANI)
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