Pakistan mulling army deployment in Gilgit Baltistan, says PoK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza

Amjad Ayub Mirza said the action is being taken as a means to deal with COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

Mirza alleged that the real motive of the government is to abolish legislative framework of the region.

"Pakistan is planning a massive army deployment in Gilgit Baltistan. All this is being done at the pretext of preventive measures against Coronavirus. They say this is being done to improve the arrangements at the community level," Mirza told ANI.

"We are also hearing from different sources that Islamabad is planning to impose Governor Raj (Rule) in the region. And the reason they are giving for the move is that all ministers ofGilgit Baltistan have run away and they are not present in relief work being done for the people," he said.

He even alleged that a large number of Punjabi people are migrating to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

As per ANI report, the activist termed "sheer negligence" of Pakistani administration as the key reason behind the outbreak of COVID-19 and a rapid rise in the number of infected COVID-19 patients. 

"The first lockdown was imposed in Gilgit Baltistan only," he told ANI.

"This was done because the religious pilgrims who were coming from Iran were infected with the virus. It was the responsibility of the Pakistan administration to establish screening centers at the Gilgit Baltistan- Iran border and test people there only. Gilgit Baltistan is going to be under army occupation now," he siad.

Amid reports of misgovernance and wrong implementation of policies by PM Imran Khan-led government, Pakistan is witnessing a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

At present, Pakistan has recorded 4004 COVID-19 cases.

The country recorded 54 deaths.