GILGIT
Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan (AWP-GB) expresses reservation about the shifting of its imprisoned leader Comrade Baba Jan to the Combined Military (CMH) Hospital Gilgit.
We reject rumours being spread through social and local media about any assurance from FCNA commander or regional government about the provision of medical checkup and treatment of Baba Jan.
Baba Jan was shifted to CMH Gilgit on Thursday instead of Islamabad as there are no latest facilities including angiography at the CMH.
Baba Jan has already been taken to City Hospital and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Gilgit many times in the past.
The point to understand is that there’s no hospital in Gilgit-Baltistan having the facility of angiography, which Baba Jan needs right now. Taking him back to such hospitals is nothing but delaying tactics and a move on the part of the establishment to defuse the pressure and anger among the youth of Gilgit-Baltistan after the news of deteriorating health of the AWP leader in media.
“Denying medical treatment to Baba Jan, who is a political prisoner, is a clear violation of the international protocols and the basic human rights,” the AWP-GB leaders, Akhon Bai, Zahoor Elahi, Akhtar Amin, Sher Afzal, Wajidullah Baig, and Asif Sakhi in a statement said.
They condemned the statements of the Chief Minister and Ghizer District administration about Baba Jan’s health. They said that instead of admitting the criminal negligence and failure of his government in ensuring basic health facilities to the people of GB, the CM is playing down the seriousness of the imprisoned leader’s health.
“We demand immediate shifting of our leader to a good hospital in Islamabad for his comprehensive checkup and treatment,” they said.
We also demand improvement in jail conditions and overall health facilities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Baba Jan, a member of the AWP Federal Committee, is currently incarcerating in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghizer District jail. He has been complaining of chest pain for the last over one year.
Last week, he was taken to Gilgit for a check-up after he complained about severe chest pain again, but he was not admitted to a hospital. Only painkillers were given to him. This news triggered strong protests in Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad by various political and youth organisations.
The AWP Federal President Yousaf Mastikhan, General Secretary Akhtar Hussain, spokesperson Farooq Tariq, and others have also expressed serious concern about the delay in the provision of medical treatment to Baba Jan.
They demanded the government to shift Baba Jan to Islamabad for proper check-up and treatment.
They warned that the federal and regional governments will be held responsible if anything happened to him.
They urged the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, HRCP, and other national and international human rights organisations to take notice of the violation of fundamental rights in the disputed mountainous region and ill-treatment with prisoners like Baba Jan and the callousness of the GB government
Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan (AWP-GB)

Protest Demostration for the release of Baba Jan by AWP Khi today lead by General Secretary Akhtar Hussain

A little girl in Karachi demanding Justice For BabaJan at the Free BabaJan protest today!