Col J P Singh, Retd
God has blessed Gilgit-Baltistan region with high mountains, huge water resources, enchanting lakes, large variety of fruits, lush green forests, rivers, springs, largest glaciers, variety of minerals and hardy people. We often heard such tales from our forefathers who took part in battles of Skardu and Chitral and served in these areas. Its enchanting beauty is enshrined in our folklore and often sung by pahari folk singers. Ironically it is forsaken by India. Before Pakistan carried out nuclear tests, tourism was the lifeline of this area but the explosions and 9/11 have almost dried up the tourism potential of this region. The resultant unemployment and lack of opportunities have created an explosive situation and led to widespread frustration and unrest in the masses. The area has never been given any democratic dispensation and continues to be ruled arbitrarily from Islamabad with a status of something like a colony. Until 1988 the people of Gilgit-Baltistan boldly fought for their democratic rights. Gen Zia ul Haq subverted their campaign by clamping the martial law and dividing them on sectarian lines. Gen Zia posted Brig Musharraf ( architect of Kargil and later President of Pakistan) to suppress regional uprising. He also sent armed Sunni extremists who killed hundreds of Shias whenever and wherever a riot brew. The details of Pakistan’s deceit and treachery in respects of these areas may take volumes to recount. Some briefs accounts have been enumerated below to project the appalling state of affairs in a piece of land and group of people who have nothing in common with Pakistan except that they also profess Islam of a different shade.
Killing and vandalizing the minorities is getting institutionalized in Pakistan. Predominantly Shia dominated Gilgit-Baltistan has been subjected to unjust treatment and unfair killings by Sunni musclemen of the region who have been brought in from Punjab for the purpose. Some nationalist organisations have been espousing the cause of justice to local people at various levels including the United Nations but in vain. Recently Kargil district observed a day long complete shut down to mark their protest against massacre of Shias.
Till the sixth century Gilgit-Baltistan was called Brooshal, later called Bloristan and till mid twentieth century it was Dardistan. Local residents call it Balwaristan. During 1970s Pakistan, in a clever move and with malafide intentions named it ‘Northern Areas’. Legally it is Indian territory and has been fulcrum of Central Asia being at the cross roads of ancient Silk Route. Like Kashmir it is yet another paradise on the earth. It is blessed with abundance of natural resources despite which it is most backward in entire South Asia. Karakoram Highway which passes through Gilgit-Baltistan enables easy Chinese access to the sea port of Gwadar at the mouth of Persian Gulf. Karakoram Highway has been so aligned and extended to Chinese territory that it will facilitate export from Chinese factories located in North Western China straight to Gawadar deep Sea Port. Pakistan offers to serve as ‘energy corridor’ between China and gulf. The two countries have started a rail link between them. Gilgit-Baltistan borders Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tibet, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, hence a bridge between India and Central Asian Republics. Being in Pakistan occupation, India is denied the right of direct access to Afghanistan and central Asia. Pakistan allows access to China but deprives the real inheritor this right of passage. Therefore we are struggling to seek route through Iran and Afghanistan to reach Central Asian Republics instead of seeking one through this region.
Sectarian clashes between Shias and Sunnis have taken many precious lives and created bitterness among two communities. Sectarian organisations have come up with the avowed objective of striking at each other. This is an unfortunate situation for a country which was carved out of India on the assumption that it would be a homeland for all Muslims. People have been attacked and butchered in Mosques, schools, hospitals, in buses and other public places. Administration is paralysed in various towns and cities which emboldens brutalities and benefits terrorists and further creates unrest in the region. Sectarian killings in Gilgit-Baltistan have evoked reactions in Kargil and many places of Pakistan blaming the govt for silently watching the decimation of Shia community. It is only during the Assembly and Parliament sessions that POK, Northern Areas and Aksai Chin becomes imaginary part of India for a short duration. This disparaging memory passes over from Indian minds when nasty political and criminal issues take over the proceedings of the House. Issue of illegal occupation of 1/3rd part of J&K under illegal occupation was seriously debated in J&K Legislative Assembly on 21st March 2012. Ironically no resolution emerged from the House debate.
Gilgit -Baltistan is seething with discontentment. ISI managed Jehadi camps have been established in Gilgit-Baltistan. Senior retired army officers have been employed to train J&K militant groups like the redundant JKLF, HM and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and to infiltrate them back into the valley. Latest intelligence reports suggest that youths from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir are trained together in camps run by ISI in Ghowadi, Skardu, Darel, Astor and Gilgit. After the Kargil war, military build up has been augmented in Northern Areas with construction of roads and helipads within three kms of LOC. A High Altitude Training School has been opened near Gilgit and SSG Commando Training Centre has been established near Skardu. It amounts to military encirclement of India from this direction. Fearing American drone attacks in Swat Valley, Al Qaeda and Taliban militants have migrated to Gilgit-Baltistan where they intimidate and endanger indigenous Shia population.
Military imposes curfew at the drop of the hat and indulges in human rights violations with impunity. People deserve attention of International Red Cross and UNO. There is no Dalai Lama for Gilgitis and Baltis. There may be some in the making but lying low for the fear of persecution at the hands of Pak Army. Even if they get the support of the kind which Pakistan gave to Khalistan movement and now to the Kashmiri separatists, it would be suicidal for them to under take the cause of their identity and ethnic cleansing because Pak Army will eliminate them as it did in case of Nawab Bhugti, most popular Baluch leader.
The Indian mind is not poised to think in terms of understanding the potential of vast area of the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir beyond Muzaffrabad. The geography of erstwhile vast princely state, which merged with India, has almost disappeared from Indian memory. Violation of international conventions, violation of human rights, ceding of Indian territories to China and construction of KKH in Indian territories whether contested bilaterally/ globally or not is not in the public knowledge. India did very little diplomatically through UN and friendly countries to prevent Pakistan from ceding territories of India to China in 1963 followed by construction of KKH by China and persecution of aborigines. Politicians and the govt has not made average Indian aware of the fact that Pakistan has ceded large area of J&K to China and almost leased entire POK to construct Karakoram Highway and Karakoram Railway line. What follows from this silence? Will India remain silent if Pakistan cedes Gilgit-Baltistan to China?
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