Gilgit-Baltistan: Dispute, History and India's stand

Despite India's protests, Pakistan is planning to make disputed Gilgit-Baltistan its fifth province. The country has finalized a law to award provisional provincial status to strategically located Gilgit-Baltistan, as per several media reports. Elections will be held in the said region in November. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran will soon visit the region and make a formal announcement. The Indian side has not issued an official statement on the same. 

This comes after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed to grant provisional provincial status to the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region. India has condemned the move and asked Pakistan to immediately vacate all the areas under its illegal occupation.  

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his speech in Gilgit city, stated, “We have decided to grant provisional provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan, which was a long-standing demand here.” He, however, did not provide a timeline for the move. 

Hours after this announcement, a statement was issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, rejecting the attempt of Pakistan to bring material changes to a part of the Indian territory, under its illegal and forcible occupation. 

The statement by MEA stated, "The Government of Pakistan has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. Such attempts by Pakistan, intended to camouflage its illegal occupation, cannot hide the grave human rights violations, exploitation, and denial of freedom for over seven decades to the people residing in these Pakistan occupied territories. Instead of seeking to alter the states of these Indian territories, we call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation." 

"Pakistan categorically rejects Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ irresponsible and unwarranted statement regarding Gilgit-Baltistan," a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan. 

India's take on the provisional provincial status

India asserts that the entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh including Gilgit-Baltistan are an integral part of India by the prudence of legal, complete, and irrevocable accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Union of India in the year 1947.

Pakistan’s move to name Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province is intended to camouflage its illegal occupation of the area but it cannot hide the grave human rights violations, exploitation, and denial of freedom to the people for over seven decades.

The role of China

China has spent years building infrastructural projects in the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region. The region is also a part of the $ 65 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was speaking ahead of the local elections slated for November 5 stated that the modern and well-maintained roads had brought important progress to Gilgit-Baltistan and the move to make the area a province would help 'uplift backward areas and poor segments of society'.

Protests in Pakistan

The people of the disputed region are accusing Pakistan of systematically exploiting the area of its resources and sharing no dividends with them.

On October 8, 2020, a massive protest took place against the Imran Khan-led government over the issue of Gilgit Baltistan in Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Political activists stated that they will sacrifice their lives but will not let Pakistan alter the status of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Background

Recently, Saudi Arabia excluded the undivided Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from India in its global map imprinted on the 20 Riyal banknote. However, the correction was made after India lodged a protest and asked it to take 'urgent corrective steps' about the 'gross misrepresentation'.

The Government of Pakistan released a new political map on the first anniversary of the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and parts of western Gujarat as part of its territory. India described the move as a 'ridiculous assertion' and 'political absurdity'. 

About Gilgit-Baltistan

Gilgit-Baltistan is one of the disputed territories of India and is home to around two million people. It is located on the northwestern corner of the UT of Ladakh, bordering Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China.

On October 26, 1947, Hari Singh (the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir) signed an agreement called 'Instrument of Accession'. This merged the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Dominion. 

The region was earlier a part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir but on 4 November 1947, Pakistan invaded the region with the help of tribal militias and the Pakistani Army. 

On January 1, 1948, India moved to the UN Security Council against Pakistan's invasion. The UN Security Council passed a resolution, calling Pakistan to withdraw from the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir but no withdrawal was ever carried out. The invaded area is still a point of contention between India and Pakistan. 

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