Minister says situation in Gilgit-Baltistan normal after deployment of Army in region

ISLAMABAD – Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi has responded to the deployment of the Pakistan Army in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Amid widespread rumors and speculations after the deployment of armed forces in the region, Solangi took to social media to clear the air and turned down the reports claiming the deployment of Army to maintain law and order.

He said the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces were positioned to maintain law and order only for the chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain which is slated to be held next week.

In a series of post on X, former Twitter, the minister dropped pictures showing normal routine activities in the country’s northernmost region. He said major roads, trade centers, business activities and educational institutions are open as normal days.

In a statement released by the Home Department of Gilgit-Baltistan, it has been clarified that the situation in Gilgit-Baltistan is completely peaceful and the news and speculations circulating in media regarding the deployment of Pakistan Army are completely baseless.
All roads,…

— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) September 3, 2023

He however mentioned that security has been beefed up for the security of procession routes and Imambargahs as per practice in previous years, and section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 has been imposed to protect the lives and property of the people and avoid any untoward incident.

Different media reports suggest that the situation in G-B remain tense as clerics make insensitive remarks, triggering a strong response from different school of thought.