Baba Jan Released From Pakistani Jail After 9 Years

Baba Jan, who does not consider Gilgit-Baltistan as part of Pakistan, released from Pakistan jail after 9 years.

Baba Jan, who did not consider Gilgit Baltistan as part of Pakistan and raised his voice against the government, finally got his release from prison after nine years.

People of Gilgit Baltistan have been protesting against the government for a long time regarding his release. Baba Jaan had openly challenged the government of Pakistan on Gilgit-Baltistan.

He said that Pakistan has an illegal occupation over it. He also raised his voice against the enforcement of Pakistani law here.

He was jailed in 2011 for suppressing this voice against the government. He was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Anti-Terrorism Court.

Internationally raised voice

In 2017, 18 MPs from nine countries of the world also voiced their release. This includes Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Tunis, Germany, and Denmark.

All of them demanded that the matters going on Baba Jaan be withdrawn and that he and his companions be released. The appeal for his release at the international level was signed by 426 celebrities from 49 countries.

There were demonstrations regarding his release in early October.

These included members of Awami Workers Party, Hakuk-e-Khalq Movement, Mazdoor Kisan Party, Communist Party, Kisan Rabita Committee, including his sister Nazneen Niaz.

Raised voice against the government

Baba Jaan drew the attention of the whole world against the atrocities on the people of Gilgit-Baltistan with the connivance of the government and the army.

He said that the government along with the army is crushing every voice raised against them here. Elders, including youth and women, are also being illegally put in jail and tortured.

Significantly, along with being a member of the Federal Committee of Baba Awami Workers Party, he has also been its former Vice President.

Baba Jaan came in such headlines

In the year 2010, due to the landslides in the Hunza Valley, the water of the Hunza River was stalled. Due to the floods, around 23 villages were submerged.

There was an agitation led by Baba Jaan to compensate about 1000 people here. The result was that many people got compensation but some survived.

Along with these survivors, Baba Jan again staged a protest against the local government and demanded compensation. By stopping the Chief Minister’s convoy, he tried to repeat his demand.

Force was used to dispersing the crowd of protesters and even bullets were fired. One person was killed in it. Angry protesters ransacked several places and set the police station ablaze.

Baba Jaan was arrested after this incident. He was prosecuted in the bayonet streams. In 2014, the court convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

However, in 2015, the Gilgit-Baltistan court, which has high court status, acquitted him and his associates. Even after this, he was not released.

Not only this, on the orders of the government, he was shifted to another jail overnight.

2015 election

In the year 2015, Baba Jaan participated in the assembly elections from here. However, he had to face defeat at the hands of Mir Gajanfar Ali Khan in this election.

Shortly after this, Ali was made the governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, due to which the seat here was vacated. By-elections were held for the vacated GBLA-6 seat in the year 2016.

Baba Jaan again entered the electoral fray to try his luck as a candidate of the Awami Workers Party. This time his nomination was canceled.

The Election Officer said that he is punished by the court, so he is not entitled to contest the election.

He appealed against this order in the High Court here, after which the elections here were deferred by staying the order of the Election Officer.

The High Court and then the Supreme Court also ruled against Baba Jaan.