Naseem Abbas
The ongoing religious protests in Gilgit Baltistan have created chaos in the region and among the people. Intellectuals are trying to find a collective point where these issues can be solved and I hope they will find it soon. My concern will not be on the nature of issue but about the side effects that the region is going to face if this situation persists. Due to the blessings of Allah Almighty, the region has always been an eye-catching tourist destination and in recent years, this industry has been optimized exponentially. This factor not only benefits the people of the region but also is very profitable for our country in such failed economic situation. It is a fact that people will spend their vacations at a site where they feel themselves safe which is an alarming situation for the industry. It is evident that such things take years to get normalized as happened with the sports industry of Pakistan. Secondly, the region, due to its vast resources and peak geographic importance, has always been an eyesore of the whole world mainly the neighbors including China and India. This is evident by the coverage of international media on very small protests and possessions in the region , although national media ignores it. Consequently, any kind of instability and chaos can be more poisonous than we think for the region itself. So before taking any step the intellectuals, lawmakers and citizens must consider peace as the first thing to talk about. Hope for a prosperous and peaceful Gilgit Baltistan.
