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News18
19 hours ago
- Business
- News18
Gilgit-Baltistan: A New Uprising In Pakistan's ‘Last Colony' Against Oppressive Rule
Last Updated: For decades, GB has sought autonomy, political representation, and development aligned with local needs and ambitions, but has faced growing neglect and exploitation from Pakistan A fresh wave of resistance against the Pakistani state's illegal occupation of the region is being witnessed in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The local traders and business community of GB have launched a movement to oppose trade and travel between Pakistan and China via the Khunjerab Pass. This latest protest is the outcome of the relentlessly exploitative economic and political conditions imposed on GB by the Pakistani state. The protest by the traders has come close on the heels of a mass movement by the local residents of GB against the controversial Land Reforms Act, 2025, passed on May 21. For the last four weeks, traders have been continuing with a sit-in at the Karakoram Highway, bringing the region to a standstill. They are demanding recognition of local interests by Islamabad as well as its accountability. To understand GB's tumultuous relationship with Islamabad, it is important to look at the history of this asymmetric and oppressive power dynamic, which continues to disenfranchise, marginalise, and politically erase the identity, aspirations, and future of the people of this region. According to the US-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Pakistan has treated GB more as a colony rather than as part of the federation. 'The region has long been regarded by Pakistan not as a cherished part of the federation, but as a distant and burdensome periphery. Successive governments have turned a blind eye to the fundamental needs of the humble inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan, relegating the region to an ad hoc governance framework administered from afar—governed not by participatory laws, but by decrees handed down from Islamabad," says a recent MEMRI report. The origins of this injustice lie in the 1949 Karachi Agreement. Under this 'agreement", the control of GB (then called Northern Areas) was transferred from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) to Islamabad without any representative from the region. Since then, Islamabad has directly ruled GB through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, using the draconian colonial-era Frontier Crimes Regulation. Its constitutional status remains in limbo as Pakistan has tried to use it to build another false narrative by linking it to the resolution of the Kashmir issue with India. But to deal with growing frustration among the local residents, it introduced limited self-governance reforms to the region, renaming it 'Gilgit and Baltistan' in 2009. However, this move was exposed as hollow; right from the beginning, the GB assembly was systematically populated by 'compliant figureheads or puppets, rather than leaders who dared to interpret their roles with independence and purpose," as emphasised in the MEMRI analysis. For decades, GB has sought autonomy, political representation, and development aligned with local needs and aspirations, but instead has faced growing neglect and exploitative policies from Pakistan. The Pakistani magazine Herald once described Gilgit-Baltistan as Pakistan's 'last colony", a phrase that aptly reflects Islamabad's governing attitude toward the region. Very recently, GB was engulfed in massive demonstrations against the forcibly passed Land Reforms Act, 2025. This legislation was opposed by the people, as it would enable land grabs by Punjabi landlords and the Pakistani military, displace the local population, and exploit natural resources. This law would also intensify military control. As GB is the only region under Pakistan's occupation that has a Shia and Ismaili majority, Islamabad has also undertaken a systematic campaign of altering the demography by opening up the region to outsiders. Now, fed up with increasing federal taxes and deliberate obstacles to local trade, GB traders—backed by a host of local political parties and religious groups—have sustained a resilient sit-in at Sost. This powerful show of solidarity and demand for justice compelled Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan and Governor Mehdi Shah to seek federal intervention, leading to the formation of a federal committee to make recommendations for the issue's resolution. The protestors' demands are simple: exemption from income, sales, and other federal taxes on commodities imported from China through the Khunjerab Pass—deemed illegal by traders considering GB's lack of constitutional status—and urgent customs clearance for 280 consignments stuck at Sost Dry Port under a one-time amnesty scheme. Ironically, while Gilgit-Baltistan is considered to be geographically very significant for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Islamabad's treatment of local traders sends a clear message that it is least bothered about the interests of the local population and is only interested in exploiting the strategic position and resources of the region. All routes connecting Pakistan to China, including the critical Karakoram Highway, pass through GB, which should ideally have brought more economic opportunities for the local population. However, in contrast, it has resulted in increased Chinese military presence. This reinforces the fact that Pakistan follows the template of exploiting the region while keeping the people underdeveloped. If the locals dare to express their aspirations, they are handled brutally by the Pakistani military and its death squads. Therefore, the traders' blockade in GB represents more than an economic conflict—it is the roar of a voice silenced for decades from a region long suffering under the thumb of Islamabad's colonial and oppressive policies. The writer is an author and columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. tags : China Kashmir pakistan view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 16, 2025, 22:02 IST News opinion Global Watch | Gilgit-Baltistan: A New Uprising In Pakistan's 'Last Colony' Against Oppressive Rule Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. 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India.com
29-04-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Azad? Only in Name: The Harsh Reality of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif When it comes to the map of Jammu and Kashmir, a vital truth often gets blurred under diplomatic caution and international distractions: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are not independent lands, but territories illegally occupied and administered by Pakistan since 1947. Together known as Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), these regions are key parts of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which legally acceded to India. Their story is not one of free will, but of manipulation, political control, and the creation of a launchpad for militancy against India. Azad Kashmir, officially called 'Azad Jammu and Kashmir' (AJK), lies in the southern part of POK. Despite the grand claim of 'Azad' (meaning 'free'), it is anything but independent. Azad Kashmir has its own government, prime minister, and a legislative assembly, but all meaningful powers—especially defense, foreign policy, and constitutional matters—rest firmly in the hands of Islamabad. Pakistan's Ministry of Kashmir Affairs effectively governs the region, ensuring that real autonomy remains a myth. The region covers about 13,297 square kilometers and is home to roughly 4 million people. Major cities like Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and Bagh serve as administrative centers, but the common people have little say over their political destiny. In stark contrast, Gilgit-Baltistan, formerly known as the Northern Areas, occupies the vast northern expanse of POK, covering nearly 72,496 square kilometers—more than five times the size of Azad Kashmir. This mountainous region is strategically crucial, sharing borders with China, Afghanistan, and India's Ladakh. Unlike Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan is directly administered by Pakistan without even the facade of autonomy until 2009, when a limited self-governance order was introduced. Even today, the people there have no constitutional recognition within Pakistan and are denied representation in the Pakistani Parliament. Islamabad's grip on Gilgit-Baltistan remains tight because of its immense strategic value: the Karakoram Highway passes through it, linking Pakistan to China's Xinjiang province. The difference between the two regions lies not just in their governance but in the scale of Pakistan's strategic exploitation. Azad Kashmir, smaller and more populated, is often used by Pakistan as a propaganda tool to project an image of 'Kashmiri self-determination.' Gilgit-Baltistan, on the other hand, is treated purely as a colony—a landmass valuable for its location, resources, and military advantage. While Azad Kashmir has managed to establish a limited local political structure, Gilgit-Baltistan remains disenfranchised, its people denied the basic democratic rights Pakistan claims to champion. Moreover, both regions have been systematically used as breeding grounds for terrorism. Numerous militant training camps have been set up in Azad Kashmir by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to infiltrate trained militants into India. Areas such as Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bhimber are notorious for hosting terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen. These groups are not hidden forces; they operate openly with support, recruitment drives, and even fundraising events under the watchful eye of Pakistani authorities. Meanwhile, parts of Gilgit-Baltistan have been quietly militarized to suppress local Shia Muslim populations and to secure critical land routes for Chinese interests under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Historically, both Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were integral parts of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh. When Pakistan attempted to annex Kashmir through tribal invasions in October 1947, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession to India, making Kashmir legally a part of India. However, in the chaos that followed, Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed a mutiny led by British officers in the Gilgit Scouts who handed over control to Pakistan. Azad Kashmir, meanwhile, was born out of a Pakistani-orchestrated conspiracy during the same period. As Pakistani tribesmen, armed and directed by Pakistan's military establishment, stormed into Kashmir in a brutal campaign of looting and violence, a local rebellion was simultaneously encouraged in the western districts of the princely state. Supported by Pakistan's army officers disguised as 'volunteers,' insurgents proclaimed the creation of a so-called 'Azad Kashmir' government on October 24, 1947, at Muzaffarabad. However, far from being an organic uprising, the rebellion was deeply engineered by Pakistan to establish a puppet administration that could be used to claim the territory as a 'people's movement.' The newly declared government had no real independence; it became, and remains, completely subservient to Islamabad's political and military interests. India, defending the legitimate accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh, deployed forces to repel the invaders, but by then, Pakistan had entrenched itself in parts of the region, leading to a bitter and unfinished conflict that endures till today. Today, Pakistan tries to portray these regions as expressions of Kashmiri nationalism, but the reality is much grimmer. Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are denied true freedom and rights by Pakistan itself. Elections in Azad Kashmir are heavily rigged, with candidates required to swear loyalty to Pakistan—a direct contradiction to the very notion of 'self-determination.' In Gilgit-Baltistan, demographic manipulation is underway to dilute local ethnic identities, with outsiders being settled to shift the population balance. India's rightful claim over these territories is rooted in both history and legality. The 1994 unanimous resolution passed by the Indian Parliament asserts that Pakistan must vacate all parts of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation. The world must recognize that Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are not mere 'disputed territories' but lands awaiting liberation from Pakistan's oppressive hold. Their people deserve democracy, dignity, and development—values that align with India's constitutional framework, not Pakistan's exploitation. In this context, India's policy must remain firm: any dialogue with Pakistan must start with the complete vacation of POK. The voices from Muzaffarabad to Skardu must be heard, and the dream of a reunited Jammu, Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan must continue to inspire every Indian heart. The unfinished task of 1947 must not be forgotten—for the sake of justice, national unity, and the rightful aspirations of millions living under a foreign flag. ——–E.O.M.
