G-B Opposition Leader Condemns Karam Roadblock as “Security Failure,” Demands Rights for Citizens

Muhammad Kazim Maisam, the Opposition Leader in the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Assembly and Parliamentary Leader of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) GB, vehemently criticized the prolonged blockade of roads leading to Karam, terming it a “security failure.” He made these remarks during his special participation in the Karam Peace Conference held in Islamabad today.

Maisam passionately called upon the federal government to ensure fundamental rights for all citizens, including the right to live, freedom of expression, and the right to free movement. He asserted that the seven-month-long siege of Karam stands as a stark indictment of the ruling authorities and their “false claims” of governance.

“For seven months, Karam has been under siege, a slap in the face of the rulers and their lies,” Maisam stated emphatically. He further alleged that even raising a voice in support of the people of Karam within the country had been treated as a crime. He acknowledged the widespread solidarity shown by the nation when the “oppressed people of Karam raised their voices,” leading to unified protests from Skardu and Gilgit to Karachi, and from Quetta to Lahore.

However, Maisam expressed his disappointment over the alleged attacks on their leaders and religious scholars in Sindh, where terrorism charges were reportedly imposed. He condemned the Sindh government’s stance that residents of Gilgit-Baltistan had no right to protest in Sindh, arguing that the Parachinar issue was not merely a regional concern but a fundamental human rights issue.

Reiterating his commitment to unity, Maisam declared, “We have always raised our voice for unity. We do not stand with any oppressor; we are supporters of every oppressed person, whether those oppressed are from Karam, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta, or Gilgit-Baltistan.” He concluded by emphasizing the continued struggle for the supremacy of justice and against all forms of oppression.