Tensions have risen in the Pak-occupied-Gilgit-Baltistan region as police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against six Shia Muslim students at Karakoram International University. The students were charged under sections 153A, 188, and 291 of the Pakistan Penal Code for organizing a Youm-e-Hussain event on campus.
This incident has reignited concerns about religious freedom and minority rights in the region. POGB, along with other areas such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh, has long been subject to strict control measures by Punjabi Pak Army.
These actions reflect a broader pattern of suppression in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), particularly in educational institutions. The Pak Army launches such crackdowns, viewing educated and informed citizens as potential threats to their control over the region.
Education in non-Punjab province is seen as a threat by Pakistan’s administration, which is keen on maintaining tight control over the region.