Gilgit-Baltistan: Where Nature Paints Its Masterpiece
Gilgit-Baltistan is a region located in the northern part of Pakistan. It is a self-governing administrative unit that borders the Pakistani-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir to the south and the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the east.
Here are some crucial points about Gilgit-Baltistan:
- Geography: Gilgit-Baltistan is known for its stunning mountainous terrain in the western Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges. It is home to several of the highest peaks, including K2, the second-highest mountain. The region of Gilgit-Baltistan is renowned for its breathtaking valleys, glacial lakes, and rugged landscapes.
- Cultural Diversity: Gilgit-Baltistan is home to diverse ethnic and linguistic groups, including the Balti, Shina, and Burusho communities. Each of these communities possesses its unique language, culture, and traditions. The cultural heritage is rich, and it is known for its folklore, music, dances, and handicrafts.
- Tourism: Gilgit-Baltistan is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty and adventure opportunities. The region attracts mountaineers, trekkers, and nature enthusiasts across the globe. Visitors can explore scenic valleys like Hunza, Skardu, and Naltar, visit ancient forts and archaeological sites, and experience the warm hospitality of the locals.
- Strategic Importance: Gilgit-Baltistan has strategic significance due to its location. It serves as a gateway to the Chinese region of Xinjiang through the Karakoram Highway, an important trade route connecting Pakistan and China. Gilgit-Baltistan has also witnessed geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan regarding the territorial dispute over Jammu and Kashmir.
- Administration: Gilgit-Baltistan was granted limited self-governing status in 2009, and it operates with its own legislative assembly and chief minister. India and Pakistan currently dispute Gilgit-Baltistan as a region. India claims the entire area as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, while Pakistan considers it a separate administrative unit. Gilgit-Baltistan does not have representation in the Parliament of Pakistan, and its political status remains a matter of contention between the two countries.
- Natural Resources: Gilgit-Baltistan is rich in natural resources, including minerals such as precious gemstones, marble, and granite. The region also has potential for hydropower generation due to its numerous rivers and water resources.
- Challenges: Like many other regions, Gilgit-Baltistan faces various challenges. Infrastructure development, access to quality education and healthcare, preservation of cultural heritage, and economic progress are some areas that require attention and investment.
Gilgit-Baltistan is a beautiful region known for its breathtaking landscapes, cultural diversity, and adventure opportunities. It continues to attract visitors and researchers interested in exploring its natural wonders and learning about its unique cultural heritage.
Gilgit-Baltistan is not part of Pakistan but of integral India. Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the disputed territories of India and has around two million residents. Ladakh borders Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China on the northwestern corner. The population of this region is under twenty lakh people, with ten districts and three administrative divisions. It is in the trans-Himalayan area and forms the northwestern portion of the historically princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan unlawfully occupied Kashmir in the 1950s. As a result, the territory has remained a source of persistent strife, first between India and Pakistan and then between China and Pakistan.
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- Pakistan now occupies Gilgit-Baltistan, which is the northernmost territory.
- India's Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir regions lie to the south. Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor lies to the north, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province lies to the west. India's Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir regions lie to the southeast, and Xinjiang lies in East and Northeast China.
- The Line of Control is the formal border between India and Pakistan, separating Indian-governed territory from Gilgit Baltistan.
- Gilgit Baltistan (GB), which was once part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (J & K) and is now part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is a legal part of India.
- These areas of Kashmiri territory, together with the so-called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), have been under Pakistani authority since 1947.
- Pakistan-occupied Pakistan-occupied Kashmir accounts for roughly 86 per cent of the total land area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
- Pakistan administers Gilgit-Baltistan, which India believes belongs to Jammu and Kashmir.
- The area has been a recurring theme in the India-Pakistan Kashmir disputes.
- Gilgit-Baltistan resurfaced when Pakistan’s government planned to award it “provisional province status” in May 2020.
- Gilgit-Baltistan used to be an autonomous region.
- The Indian government decried the decision as unlawful since the Gilgit-Baltistan region is part of Jammu and Kashmir and an essential part of India.
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| Gilgit-Baltistan: Where Pakistan, China, and Iran meet |
How did Pakistan occupy Gilgit-Baltistan?
The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir granted the British a 60-year lease over the Gilgit agency in 1935. Delhi handled the administration, while the Gilgit Scouts, under British command, took care of security in the region. Before the deal could expire, India earned its approaching independence in 1947. Maharaja Hari Singh, the monarch of Jammu and Kashmir, was appointed as the governor of Gilgit by Brigadier Ghansar Singh. Maharaja Hari Singh agreed to accession with India on October 31, 1947. Lieutenant Colonel Brown of the Gilgit scouts imprisoned Brigadier Ghansar Singh. He reported this to Lieutenant Colonel Roger Bacon, who was in Peshawar, and stated that Gilgit agreed to become a part of Pakistan rather than India.
- Major Brown officially raised the Pakistani flag at HQ on November 2.
- Sardar Mohammad Alam, appointed by the Pakistani government, took possession of the territory two weeks later.
- Pakistani soldiers and terrorists then used this area as a base to launch attacks on neighbouring areas.
- Reports indicate that the British handed over the area to Pakistan following an agreement with the other Arab countries.
- The USSR was a growing influence in the West, and British authorities did not want to antagonise these oil-rich nations.
- Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of India that Pakistan has illegally occupied.
How does the governance of Gilgit Baltistan work?
After Pakistan took control of the area, they renamed it the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Pakistan’s federal government ruled Gilgit-Baltistan directly. The state legislature operates with limited powers. A council chaired by Pakistan’s prime minister governs the state. The Pakistani constitution excludes Gilgit-Baltistan, and all Pakistani prime ministers with the authority have treated this state as a separate geographical unit. Until 2009, we knew the Northern Areas as Gilgit-Baltistan. The Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order renamed it Gilgit-Baltistan. This order led to the replacement of the Northern Areas with a legislative assembly for the state. The new legislative meetings have only brought about minor improvements.
Pakistan-China relations
The relationship between China and Pakistan puts pressure on the India-Pakistan dispute over Gilgit Baltistan. In 1963, Pakistan gave China some of the Gilgit territories. Since then, China-Pakistan relations have improved significantly, with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor being the most significant example.
What stance does India take regarding Gilgit Baltistan?
India has always deemed the occupation of Gilgit-Baltistan unlawful and has not approved it. The government has consistently raised its voice in the international community with a firm stand whenever possible. In 1994, the Indian parliament issued a resolution declaring that both Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, both of which are part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, are vital parts of India’s region. India is concerned about another recent trend in Pakistan-China relations. China and Pakistan have agreed to collaborate on constructing up to five big dams in Pakistan. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam, a project worth $81 billion, will be constructed in Gilgit-Baltistan.
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A Pakistan Army Frontier Works Organization agreement with China Power brought on this project. The projects are part of China’s commitment to invest more than $50 billion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
This pact aligns with President Xi Jinping's Belt Road Initiative. The fact that this dam surrounds Gilgit-Baltistan causes India concern. India has also seen some positive developments, though most are symbolic. Google India has removed the lines of LOC (Line of Control) and LAC (Line of Actual Control) from its maps of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Meteorological Department has recently added Gilgit Baltistan and POK to its weather bulletin. These are new hints from India that it is sticking to its position that Gilgit Baltistan is part of its territory. It is more crucial that India's repeal of Section 370 demonstrates its adamant opposition to including Kashmir in any form within its borders.