Murtaza Solangi denies deployment of army in GB

Islamabad: Interim Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi has denied the deployment of Pakistan Army in Gilgit-Baltistan on Sunday.

Murtaza Solangi claimed in a statement that the allegations of the Pakistan Army being stationed in Gilgit-Baltistan were untrue.

According to the information minister, all of the roads, shopping malls, and educational facilities in the GB region are operating normally.

The Home Department only implemented Section 144 in Gilgit-Baltistan due to the safety and circumstances surrounding Hazrat Imam Hussain's chehlum.

"On the eve of Hazrat Imam Hussain's (RA) Chehlum, the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces' services have been requisitioned merely to uphold law and order.

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

The interim minister posted on his X account that "special measures have also been taken for the security of the procession routes and Imambargahs as per the past practice."

In another post on the platform, the minister insisted that peaceful protests occurred “at times in reaction to” religious and sectarian concerns, but that the law and order situation was calm.

He tried to discredit claims of unrest by asserting that no shots were fired and that no damage to either public or private property took place. "The protests are a natural political democratic response to local issues," he continued.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Home Department, on the other hand, reports that all is calm in the area and that businesses and schools are operating normally.

Amidst misleading social media narratives and fake news, let's set the record straight.
Gilgit-Baltistan is experiencing peace and stability. Schools, colleges, markets, and roads are open, displaying a sense of normalcy. Peaceful protests do occur at times in reaction to some…

— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) September 3, 2023