Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 14:Concerned over the shabby treatment given to Gilgit and Baltistan by Pakistani Government, the political leaders and Legislators from that part of Jammu and Kashmir are hopeful that the process of dialogue initiated at various levels to resolve the conflict and improve the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan will bring smiles on the faces of people of that region also.
In an exclusive interview to the Excelsior the visiting Legislator from Gilgit -Baltistan Assembly, Amina Ansari who is part of the delegation for Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) that reached here from PoK yesterday expressed optimism that the dialogue process started by the Governments of India and Pakistan which, has been followed by the dialogue process by the civil society of the two nations will definitely help in improving the bilateral relations.
Maintaining that the initiative taken by the civil society of both Pakistan and India has yielded fruits and this was because of it that the members of civil society of Pakistan are here to further the process of dialogue to bring the people of two divided parts of J&K closer to each other.
“We have reached a stage and the dialogue process is in good progress which would continue as we hope some tangible results will be achieved in near future”, Amina Ansari a two- time MLA of Pakistan Muslim League added.
She said the improvement of bilateral relations between India and Pakistan is imperative in solving the problem of the people in undivided Jammu and Kashmir as well as Gilgit -Baltistan where the people have been deprived of their political rights, as the region, is considered disputed by Pakistan Government.
Strongly advocating that the dispute on Gilgit -Baltistan should end once for all, she stressed on political empowerment of the people there. “Being disputed, people are facing many problems and lack development. Our youth and students come to J&K and other parts of India for higher education as there are no proper facilities”, she added.
The Gilgit- Baltistan, which has a population of over 18 lakh has one Kurakaram International University and people lack proper education facilities and once the solution to the existing problem is found, the region will get proper attention for its development, said Amina Ansari.
She said as the routes of Gilgit Baltistan touching J&K are closed, the people of the region trade with neighboring China. “Our trade routes to China are open and people trade with that country”, she added.
She said the Gilgit- Baltistan has lot of tourism potential and it can be a hub of world tourism once peace is restored in the belt and this will in turn boost the economy of the region also.
Maintaining that there are 33 MLAs in Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, she said that the people of the region are still politically neglected and deprived as they do not get representation in Pakistan’s Senate and other political fora.
She said that 5000 families of Gilgit -Baltistan have been divided due to partition and our parents and grand parents waited for years together to meet their relatives in this part of Kashmir but they could not succeed. But now a hope has emerged as I managed to visit here and this is a good sign”, she added.
She expressed the hope that like the Kashmir issue is being raised on different fora, the Gilgit -Baltistan issue will also be raised to provide justice to the people of that region . “Once the issue is raised the solution to the problem will come automatically”, she added.
Candidly admitting that Gilgit -Baltistan is politically weak she said lack of political empowerment has led to the deprivation in economic and social fields also. She strongly advocated for opening of Leh -Kargil routes in Ladakh region to Gilgit -Baltistan as was done in case of Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote road.
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