GAHKUCH, Jan 18, 2010: Ghizer is a strategic tehsil of Gilgit-Baltistan which has border with Tajikistan, one of the important states of Central Asia. However, the state of poverty and backwardness is such that even its headquarters Gahkuch is today deprived of all basic facilities of life. There are neither drinking water available to the inhabitants nor roads have been constructed.

A few schools have been set up but the quality of education is deplorable. A few medical centres have been established in the area but they are still without doctors and medicines to treat the patients. No industry has been set up in the whole district while the government has also failed to develop the vital agriculture sector on modern footings. If proper steps are taken, vast opportunities of employment can be created in the area but under a well-hatched conspiracy the rulers have kept the area backward lest the local people get awareness of their rights and rise against the usurpers.

Under a recent survey, Ghizer was declared the most backward district of Gilgit-Baltistan. Though government figures put the population of the district at 22,000 but actually it has swelled 170,000 mark. Agriculture is the only major source of income for the local people; however, obsolete and primitive methods are still used in the sector. As a result, proper returns are not being received from the sector and the pole are faced with shortage of essential food products. The district can also become a trade hub in the region but under another conspiracy roads in the region are not being constructed to link it with the neighboring countries.

God has bestowed abundance of natural resources on Ghizer. There are reserves of copper in Yasen tehsil of the district whose value is estimated at over billions of dollars.  But unfortunately, these resources are not being used for the welfare of the people because they are occupied by outsiders. Similarly, other areas of the district like Gupis, Ishkoman and Punyal also have a lot of natural resources which, if exploited, can change the destiny of the people.

During the Kargil war, one of the brave sons of the area, Havaldar Lalek Jan Shaheed, was awarded Pakistan’s highest military award, the Nishane Hyder. People of the area were expecting that this would be a catalyst in changing the fate of the area and a large number of development projects would be launched in Ghizer. However, this still remains a distant dream for the area.

We advise the government not to continue the mantra of democracy and plan to develop this backward area on a priority basis in order to change the living conditions of the residents. Construction of road, establishment of educational institutions and healthcare facilities should be the priority of the rulers so that people can avail of the facilities available in other parts of the country.--Baang Karachi