Balwaristan

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 11 Feb 2012 18:13

If true, they are expecting an Indian attack. "Aimed at cementing all-weather relations" is BS.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 25 Feb 2012 22:07

Gilgit sold to China?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfgS1EE5p40

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 26 Feb 2012 02:29

Balawaristan is also the name for the Gilgit-Baltistan districts. Here's a link to another website (Gilgit-Baltistan) where the current events including HR violations, Chinese intrusions and paki takeovers have been chronicled.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 26 Feb 2012 02:34

From the same source above, here's a breakdown of G-B area ceded to the chinese by the pakis:

Total Area of PoK: 85,793 sq. kilometers

Administrative Divisions: Two, namely Mirpur-Muzaffarabad (referred to as Azad Jammu & Kashmir or AJK by Pakistan) and Federally Administered Gilgit-Baltistan (FAGB).
Area of Gilgit-Baltistan in the current shape: 74,600 sq. km
Area of Gilgit-Baltistan occupied by China before 1963: 19,313 sq. km
Area of Gilgit-Baltistan ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963: 5,800 sq. km
Area of occupied Chitral: 14,850 sq. kilometer
Area of occupied Shinaki-Kohistan: 5,398 sq. kilometer

Apparently, the per Capita Income of Gilgit-Baltistan is around one-fourth of Pakistan’s average (US$264 compared to Pakistan’s US$ 1,071). Not sure where the $1,071 figure comes from.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 26 Feb 2012 02:47

Link to Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 26 Feb 2012 02:48

My personal opinion; India would be better off physically supporting this freedom movement than the one in Balchistan (which needs moral and diplomatic support).

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 17 Mar 2012 03:44

Great game in Kashmir

India has a long history of ignoring Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. With China entering the fray, can the country afford to follow this policy of indifference? Utpal Kumar talks to two well-known experts from Gilgit-Baltistan

To anyone not knowing much about him, Senge Hasnan Sering would appear to be an easy-going person with a big smile on his face. The president of the Institute of Gilgit-Baltistan Studies in Washington, DC, he is upright, punctual and greets you with a warm namaskar. But underneath this gentle demeanour is a hurt Sering has been carrying for years. “India could have done more for us,” he says. Prod him a little, and he adds: “Constitutionally and legally, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are still being claimed by New Delhi. And this claim has been recognised by the international community. This is the reason why Islamabad hasn’t been able to take the unilateral decision to formally merge this region with Pakistan. The Indian Government should have used this legal sanctity to its advantage.”

At this point, Mumtaz Khan, director of the International Centre of Peace and Democracy in Toronto, steps in. “Yes, the people in the region have close ties with Pakistan. But do they have a choice? It’s India’s policy that forced them to look westward. They knew Delhi won’t be doing anything. If India doesn’t even talk about this region, then how can people of Gilgit-Baltistan say they would be part of this country? Pakistan, for wrong or right reasons, has always been there,” he says.

With Pakistan allegedly ready to swap its role to take the backseat as China exerts itself as a major player in the Kashmir issue, India can’t afford to miss the Gilgit-Baltistan bus this time. At least that’s what Sering and Khan believe. Over to the two experts on Chinese strategic grandstanding, Indian ruinous restraint, Pakistani duplicitous expediency and the ongoing human rights violation in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Read all.

cross posted in J&K thread , Managing china threat, balwaristan and TSP therads

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 30 Aug 2012 00:04

In aid of Gilgit-Baltistan

The brutal sectarian murder that took place near Babuser Pass may not sound like much of an economic story to most people, but it is of such universal importance that it would be naïve to think that economic matters are divorced from the steady descent of our country into a boiling cauldron of primitive hatreds.

However, the human tragedy that the killings represent is the first order of priority to highlight. There are only two overland linkages that the erstwhile Northern Areas have with the rest of Pakistan, and both of them have seen brutal sectarian murders.

The eyewitness accounts are chilling, where passengers are offloaded from buses, their papers examined, and Shias separated from Sunnis.

With both roads that connect them with the rest of the country now under attack, the people of the Northern Areas are effectively cut off from their own country. Air travel is far too limited to handle the traffic that goes back and forth, and there is no rail link.

To this day, the(attabad) lake has not been drained, and the government appears to have abandoned all efforts to drain it. More than two years after the original tragedy, the only way to go beyond Attabad is by an hour-long boat journey in completely unregulated crafts.

Compounding the situation is the condition of the Karakorum Highway. This once proud road has been ripped up almost completely from the China border almost down to Thakot. It is being repaved by a Chinese construction company, and some stretches do present a fresh look, but the journey on this road has been turned into a nightmare as a result.

The highway is more than a strategic link for the army; it is a vital artery that connects all those living in the northern areas with the rest of the country, and with each other. The journey from Gilgit to Hunza, which used to be a most pleasant three hours or so now takes more than five hours. South of Gilgit the situation gets worse.

A simple question that everybody who has seen this road wants to ask is: why did they rip up the entire road to repave it?

Couldn’t it have been done in sections? Who gave the order to rip up the whole road?

It has been lying in this state for over two years now, and from the looks of it, it will be in this condition for at least as much longer.

NA cut off from main paki land. pandas in control of road development.
is panda preventing talibans/east turkestan fighetrs reaching pandaland.

menon s · Post by **menon s** » 28 Oct 2012 20:58

GILGIT BALTISTAN NATIONAL LEADER SLAIN IN KARACHI>
http://www.dardistantimes.com/content/g ... ed-karachi

A nationalist youth leader from Gilgit Baltistan was mercilessly assassinated by unknown masked assailants in Karachi. Late Ashiq Hussain Mir, the central chairman Baloristan National Youth Front (BNYF) was attacked by two masked people near Zai Hospital in Kemari, Karach, initial sources claimed. The incident happened around 4 PM and the young man died on the spot.
The slain young leader was also chairperson of Free Baba Jan Committee, a committee that struggled to free Baba Jan who was jailed for voicing against the killing of two persons in the hands of the law enforcement agencies in Hunza.
The body of Mir Ashiq Hussain will be air transported to Islamabad and then onward to Skardu, a press release, issued by Progressive Youth Front of Gilgit Baltistan, said.
Political and Students circles as well as general public of Gilgit Baltistan have strongly condemned the tragic killing of the nationalist leader.
‘Immediate Arrest’ of the killers was demanded by people from Giglit Baltistan
Contribution:
Dardistan Times Report
Photo Credits:
Progressive Youth Front, GB © 2012

arun · Post by **arun** » 21 Dec 2012 07:16

X Posted from the TSP thread.

In Islamic Republic of Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, Green on Green Intra-Mohammadden religion inspired sectarian violence results in the banning of public transportation on the Karokoram Highway (KKH):

Gilgit-Baltistan unrest: Amidst tense calm, public transport banned on key highway

The religion inspired Green on Green intra-Mohammadden sectarian violence appears to be continuation of events starting a fortnight back:

Sectarian violence: Two killed, seven injured in university clashes

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 22 Dec 2012 02:43

Letter in Yawn!
Who knows what was originally submitted and how much of it was censored.

Miseries of Gilgit Baltistan

GILGIT Baltistan is in the process of getting converted into a jungle where humans are finding it difficult to live. Sectarian violence has gripped the foundations of Gilgit and has put a dent on its social, educational and economic fabric. An air of fear prevails in the vibes of the entire region. Killing in the name of sect has become a tradition in every nook and cranny.

The Gilgit city has been polarised into different poles where men from other sects are welcomed with a barrage of bullets.

Educational institutions have literally come to a halt with no advanced version of knowledge.

Even the mainstream newspapers printed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi reach Gilgit one day after publication, a reflection of sheer backwardness.

In this winter season the frigid climate has already put a new strain on the lives of people.

But the members of our assembly still have not left their cushy lifestyles.

They are least bothered about miseries and sufferings of the common man.

REHAN KHAN GILGITI
Islamabad

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Jun 2013 10:14

Gilgit Baltistan wants end to Pakistani occupation, activist says :

Green Left Weekly

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Jun 2013 10:27

X Posted.

9 tourists, including 3 from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s “Higher than the Hinalaya’s Deeper then the Oceans” ally, the Peoples Republic of China, shot dead in the Gilgit-Balitistan area of Pakistan Occupied Jammu And Kashmir:

10 including 9 foreigners killed in Pakistan's northern area of Gilgit

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 23 Jun 2013 19:46

Realignment of KKH underway at fast pace in Hunza Valley

The workers of Chinese Road and Bridges Corporation (CRBC) are currently building a series of mountain tunnels in the area to realign the destroyed portion of the Karakoram Highway. These tunnels will help re-establish the road link between China and Pakistan.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Jun 2013 18:24

Gilgit-Baltistan: Between Hope and Despair - Priyanka Singh, IDSA Monograph

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Apr 2014 20:36

Mass protests sweep Pakistani-occupied Gilgit Baltistan

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 23 Aug 2014 21:46

Needed an excuse to bring this to the front.

Great News! Pakistan Army prepares Gaza ... to India!

01:30 Apprehension about cross-border tunnel after cave-in near LoC: A portion of land close to a sensitive forward area near the Line of Control today caved in, triggering apprehension of a cross-border tunnel near an Indian post in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district even as the Army launched an on-the-spot investigation.
"During the patrolling of the area, Army troops found the ground caved-in at the forward area along the LoC near Chakla Post tonight," a senior Army officer told PTI. The caved-in spot was near the stretch where militants had made an infiltration bid on July 22 this year, the officer said, adding that a militant and a jawan were killed in the incident.
"We are suspecting (if it is a tunnel) and physical investigation is going on in the area... It is premature to say whether there is a tunnel or not," he said, adding that there are so far no indication of the presence of cross-border tunnel in the area.
According to reports, an area between a Ditch-cum-Bandh and the LoC post has caved in, and Army engineers and other technical staff have gone to the area to verify the nature of the cave-in. On July 27, 2012, a cross-border tunnel was detected after earth caved in at two to three places due to rains near BSF's Chillayari Border Out Post in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.
"After the cave-ins, the area was dug out to know the reason. But, the authorities were surprised to find a tunnel leading into Samba from the Pakistani side. The tunnel, with a dimension of 3x3 ft, was running between Chillayari BOP and Pakistan's Numberiyal BOP," the officer added.

arun · Post by **arun** » 08 Feb 2015 08:46

Bringing things up-to-date with this Sept. 26, 2014 article.

In the Balwaristan / Baltistan area of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, heavy handed tactics to suppress the freedom struggle. Activist Baba Jan who is fighting for liberation and return of territory illegally occupied and ceded by the Islamic Republic to P.R. China besides territory ceded to the illegally occupied Afghan territory of Khyber Pakhtunwa province, is jailed for life:

Hunza riots of 2011: ATC awards life sentence to activist Baba Jan, 11 others

arun · Post by **arun** » 08 Feb 2015 09:06

In the Balwaristan / Baltistan area of Islamic Republic of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir, systematic suppression of the democratic rights of populace.

Gilgit-Baltistan: paradise in peril : It is ironic that Gilgit-Baltistan does not come under the federation of Pakistan and the people there have no right to cast a vote during the elections:

Daily Times

arun · Post by **arun** » 08 Feb 2015 09:06

BJP highlights sufferings of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in rare statement to OIC... and says Kashmiris 'have faith in Indian democracy':

Read more:

Daily Mail

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 28 Feb 2015 17:23

Gilgit-Baltistan quagmire - Tahir Mehdi, DAWN

THE first Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly completed its tenure on Dec 10 last year. The prime minister appointed a caretaker chief minister the same day. The presidential order of 2009 that had instituted a new governance system in this long ignored area did not provide for such appointment, so the order was amended.

Since it was an order, the prime minister did not have to go through any parliamentary procedures. No debate on its pros and cons ensued and no political wrangling was witnessed; a simple note drafted by a section officer of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs did the trick.

The original order also called for fresh elections within 90 days of completion of the tenure of the assembly ie March 10. This ‘problem’ was solved too by the same section officer by the addition of another clause to the amendment saying that the election may be delayed by an additional 90 days.

The strategic importance of Gilgit-Baltistan has probably never been higher than it is today.

This is typical of how affairs of the erstwhile Northern Areas have been run by successive governments, and there seems to be no respite.

The much-trumpeted elevation of the status of the area through the said order is an eyewash, a farce in fact. It is a legalised extension of the same old policy of denying the people their basic political rights.

The order offers the area a hesitant and vague recognition of the lowest sort, giving it very few political rights from one hand and taking all of them back with the other. It reeks of mistrust of local people, the kind of mistrust that only has parallels in our colonial past.

Compare the 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan Order with the Indian Councils Act of 1909 or with the later laws enacted by the British to afford a limited, cautious entry to the locals in Raj matters and you will find more similarities than differences.

The ‘bicameral’ system instituted through it provides for a 33-member elected assembly and a 15-member council, half of whom are nominated by the Pakistani prime minister. The prime minister himself, the governor appointed by him and the elected chief minister are also members of the council. The majority of eight non-local members is of nominated persons compared with the indirectly elected seven locals.

The assembly, however, consists of 24 members elected from geographical constituencies and six women and three technocrats elected on the pattern of reserved seats in Pakistan.

But as a counterweight to this democratic concession, the distribution of legislative jurisdiction between the two is made to tilt heavily in favour of the council. Mineral wealth, tourism, railways, highways among others come under the council’s exclusive domain; while the assembly is given comparatively mundane subjects ranging from public order and prisons to libraries and museums.

More importantly, a law passed by the council comes into force automatically while the one passed by the elected assembly needs the assent of the governor who can return it for review and the assembly is bound to ensure that it is not “in any manner prejudicial to the security, integrity, solidarity and strategic interest of Pakistan”.

These and other provisions collectively make the elected assembly a mere talk shop for locals.

The upcoming elections to this assembly will be held under a caretaker government and chief election commissioner appointed by the prime minister, while the all-powerful office of the governor is bestowed upon a PML-N federal minister elected from a Punjab constituency.

Colonial templates for fixing the country’s present political problems come in handy for the babus of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. What they fail to realise is that they have lost their healing touch over the past century as societies have evolved and their power structures have become more complex.

Pakistan had similar illusions about its tribal areas and dragged its feet for half a century on the status of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, refusing to acknowledge that the ground realities there have changed. Denying the area democratic rule, it has stuck to a colonial governance arrangement. The huge governance gap in Fata became a breeding ground for mafias and militancy sponsored by state and non-state actors. Pakistan sustained the area as a blind spot to further its strategic interests in Afghanistan until matters got out of hand.

The strategic importance of Gilgit-Baltistan has probably never been higher than it is today. It is home to Pakistan’s large hydel power ambitions. It is the country’s only geographical link with China that is its most important strategic ally besides being the mainstay for a promised new phase of economic prosperity.

Gilgit-Baltistan is at the fountainhead of these plans. The route of the Pak-China trade corridor is being hotly contested these days by various interest groups all across Pakistan. They are staking claims to the potential benefits of the proposed road on behalf of their respective constituencies. While the route can pick and choose its path and stopovers in mainland Pakistan, it cannot avoid Gilgit-Baltistan and yet the voice of this area is conspicuously missing.

It will be dangerous to interpret this silence as an indication of ‘all is well’. This is an enforced silence. The present political system of the area is incapable of formulating and channelling local voices in a credible manner. On the other hand, alternate voices from the area are being silenced. The local activist, Baba Jan, known for his campaign for compensation for families affected by Attabad lake landslide, was sentenced to life imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court last September for damaging public properties while leading a protest.

Pakistan is once again placing its strategic ambitions in the black hole of governance and more worryingly it has again assumed that as in Fata it can have its way by faking democratic rule and backing it with a callous mix of administrative high-handedness and dubious wheeling and dealing with the local elite.

They say once bitten, twice shy. Our rulers are, however, an exception for if they were willing to learn only one lesson from the long, bloody Fata saga, Gilgit-Baltistan would have already been given the status of a full federating unit accompanied by fully functional democratic rule.

The writer works with Punjab Lok Sujag, a research and advocacy group.

arun · Post by **arun** » 25 Apr 2015 08:38

Meanwhile in Islamic Republic of Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, Taller than Himalaya’s, Deeper than Indian Ocean, Sweeter than Honey, Iron Brother, the Peoples Republic of China largesse is not appreciated by the freedom yearning Balwaristanis.

Senge Hasnan Sering, President of the Institute for Gilgit-Baltistan Studies besides views on P.R. Chinese trade and investment, views on Oppression by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, how things are better in Jammu and Kashmir than in Pakistan Occupied J&K and yearning of the Balti’s to be liberated and rejoin India:

Many hardliners opposed to India in J&K try to show things as being better on the other side

I can't comment on what they say but nothing's further from the truth. People of GB want what Indian Kashmiris have -- membership of parliament, special status, democratic rights, right to choose our own government, etc. Even pro-Pakistani leaders, talk about how Indian Kashmiris have both special status and benefits of Indian judicial, political and economic institutions.

So how does the average local from GB see this as?

The people in GB are tired of being treated like Pakistan's colony. It uses our resources but doesn't give any rights to locals. Forget rights, persecution fills us with fear. Even the mention of creating special enclaves for Kashmiri Pandits has led to so much outrage, in GB we've so much unquestioned Pakistani influx. We live in a state of siege.

Much of this persecution is also perpetuated through non-state players?

Yes. In the recent past sectarian attacks have increased manifold in GB. As the Pakistan state weakens, the Pakistani military is increasing Islamisation through the Jamat-e-Islami, Taliban, Lashkar-e-Dawat, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Lashkar-e-Janghwi to enhance strategic interests. These Takfiri groups hate Shias who face persecution along with Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus.

What is your view on the huge Chinese investment in GB?

Since the building of the Karakoram Highway in 1966, China has steadily been increasing its stranglehold on GB. The Chinese see the region as their access way to link to Muslim countries. Once it reaches the Gwadar port, the Persian Gulf is not too far away.

Are locals happy with such Chinese presence?

What choice do they have? Given how miserably Pakistan has failed in providing us with connectivity, this is seen as a good thing. There are major issues with the Chinese over mineral exploration, land compensation and who controls the revenue and the royalties of the dams. And it not like we're getting jobs. Chinese bring their own labourers and locals are not given work. This is resented.

The list of foreign powers wanting to dabble in GB is long

Every major player in the world is aware of GB's location and its geo-strategic interest. India China, the EU, UK, US, Russia as well as Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Indonesians, Japanese and Koreans are making their own moves along with the Australians. Currently of course its China which is benefitting the maximum from GB.

Does India have role to play?

Of course, it does. Its baffling why it chooses to just play a wait-and-watch game. No one's asking India to go to war with Pakistan. But it just can't sit and hope for things to work out. As Pakistan gets Talibanised, it will bear the brunt. India should act before the fire of radicalism reaches it. Either partner with people of GB or work with the international community as well actors like Iran which has an interest in countering Taliban.

Legally you're Indian. But you need a visa to come here

Constitutionally I'm Indian. India should either forget us or do something. For 60 years we have been physically in control of Pakistan while India has constitutional capacity. How long can we live like this?

Do you go back home to GB?

I could go. (laughs) But I'm not sure they'll let me get out again ever.

Who is Senge Hansan Sering?

The Skardu- born engineer, Senge Hasnan Sering, has a Development Studies postgraduate from England. The cultural activist has been instrumental in reviving the indigenous Balti script, and has also been a fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies & Analysis, Delhi. Settled in the US since 2003, he runs the Washington-based Gilgit Baltistan Institute

From here:

People of Gilgit-Baltistan want what the Indian Kashmiris have: Senge Hasnan Sering

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 27 Apr 2015 07:30

Interestingly, a strong speaker against the Pakjabi state's brutal occupation of the 'Northern Territories' is on a speaking tour in India. This was circulated among journalists in Hyderabad a couple of days ago, for instance:

"The Jammu Kashmir Study Centre, Hyderabad invites you to a meeting of journalists with Prof. Senge Hasnain Sering, Director, International Institute for Gilgit Baltistan Studies To talk about the plight of the people of Gilgit and Baltistan, which is under illegal Pakistani occupation since 1948. Please join us to know more about the unknown Kashmir."

partha · Post by **partha** » 02 Jun 2015 12:29

*Rubbing my eyes in disbelief*

MEA spokesperson reiterates that GB belongs to India and that *efforts are being made to absorb these territories*.

Way to go. Modi govt on the offensive.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 02 Jun 2015 13:57

Wow ! At last.

The Chinese are the catalysts.

arun · Post by **arun** » 30 Sep 2015 11:14

X Posted from the STFUP thread.

Rajdeep wrote:News360: Visuals expose PoK horror

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJykCvgtFho

The real face of Pakistan occupied Kashmir has been exposed. There are massive protests against the Pakistani government in several areas of PoK, including Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Kotli. CNN-IBN exposes how the Pakistani establishment is using brutal force to quell rebellion in the region, resorting to massive human rights violation even though Islamabad has never lost an opportunity to hit out at New Delhi over Kashmir and the alleged attempts to suppress the people living in the Valley.

A CNN-IBN article about the Punjabi Military dominated deep State of Islamic Republic of Pakistan oppresses Kashmiris in Gilgit, Muzzafarabad and Kotli in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, to go with the video posted by you.

Article also has the same video embedded which conveys the scale and strong scope of protest not to mention the brutality of the crackdown of the Punjabi dominated security forces.

Am taking the liberty of cross posting this to the “Oppression of Minorities in Pakistan”, “J&K News and Discussion-2015” and “Pakistan arms sales, ops, doctrine, etc” threads:

Pakistan muzzles pro-India voices in Pak-Occupied Kashmir with brutal force, human rights violations

arun · Post by **arun** » 06 Oct 2015 20:49

Pak Repression: Gilgit-Baltistan Residents Demand Balawaristan

arun · Post by **arun** » 24 Oct 2015 06:38

X Posted from the STFUP thread.

Transcript of our Ministry of External Affairs comment on the US visit of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Questions on US supply of F-16’s, US funding of Diamer Bhasha dam construction on territory of India occupied by the Islamic Republic, Islamic Republic sponsored Mohammadden Terrorism, and threat of Nuclear weapons deployed by the Islamic Republic etc:

Transcript of Media Briefing by Official Spokesperson (October 23, 2015)

Excerpt:

Question: In the same joint statement between Pakistan and the United States of America there is a mention of US extending help in funding projects such as Diamer-Bhasha dam which is in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Comments by India, Sir.

Official Spokesperson: On this our position has been very clear and consistent. We oppose any developmental projects in an area which belongs to India but which is under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan. We have made this clear to all countries.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Mar 2016 16:15

Gilgit Baltistan as Fifth Province: Reconciling with the Status Quo? - Priyanka Singh, IDSA

A high level committee in Islamabad is cogitating over a proposal to amalgamate Gilgit Baltistan as Pakistan’s fifth province. Previously referred to as Northern Areas, Gilgit Baltistan constitutes a major geographical chunk of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Located in a strategically pivotal positon, it serves as the only land link between Pakistan and China. Media-spurred conjectures indicate that the provincial gambit is being done at China’s behest.

Apparently, China is concerned with Gilgit Baltistan’s undetermined political status and recurrent local protests in the region for representation in Islamabad. Hence, China is keen to get rid of all roadblocks before taking the grand geo-economic plunge with an investment of $46 billion in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that will connect Western China with the warm waters of the Arabian Sea via Pakistan. The CPEC package includes a string of infrastructure, power and connectivity projects lined up till the Gwadar Port in the restive province of Balochistan in Pakistan. The ongoing political contemplation within Pakistan over statutory warranty for Gilgit Baltistan is being linked to reassuring China and providing a constitutional shield to the strategic corridor worth billions.

Notwithstanding the CPEC quotient, significant inferences can be drawn from Pakistan’s bid to elevate Gilgit Baltistan as a province. Gilgit Baltistan’s absorption may signify a fundamental shift in Pakistan’s Kashmir strategy. The ‘strategic northern frontiers’ have been in a state of constitutional and political limbo since 1947, pending final settlement of the Kashmir issue. Unlike the so called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) which is governed under an interim constitution (introduced in 1974) with cosmetic state-like trappings, Gilgit Baltistan has been administered through provisional frameworks for governance introduced intermittently as stop-gap measures. The region remained disenfranchised till 2009 when the empowerment and self-rule ordinance ushered quasi popular representation, alas without representation in the National Assembly.

Alteration in Gilgit Baltistan’s political status is subject to an amendment of Pakistan’s constitution. However, any measure or amendment such as this would be in conflict with Article 257 that outlines Pakistan’s equation with parts of former princely state under its control. According to this article, Pakistan’s ties with these entities would be formalised only after they accede to Pakistan. Owing to its overwhelming Muslim majority, Gilgit Baltistan in the post-1947 era featured predominantly in Pakistan’s calculus especially in view of the UN-proposed referendum/plebiscite in Kashmir. The perennial political exclusion of Gilgit Baltistan is perceived as a significant aspect of Pakistan’s pursued agenda and broader claims on Kashmir. Therefore, the region’s incorporation as a province cannot happen without Pakistan resetting the contours of its position on Kashmir including an implied acceptance of the status quo.

During bilateral diplomatic exchanges, India and Pakistan have deliberated on retaining the status quo, i.e. converting the Line of Control into a permanent border. While India has shown its passivity over such a proposition, Pakistan has reacted sharply against it. The Musharraf formula which came close to a solution around the present ‘territorial status quo’ had failed to gather traction after his exit. Against this backdrop, Pakistan mulling over prospects of Gilgit Baltistan’s constitutional integration is a departure from its past position on Kashmir and could be construed as a kind of evolving reconciliation or rather collateral acceptance of the status quo on Kashmir.

Going by the media reports, Pakistan appears conscious of the possible fallouts of tinkering with the Kashmir wrangle. As the pre-dominant parameter, the issue has been used by Pakistan as the most effective tool against India in war and in peace. Disturbing the existing equilibrium could significantly deflate Pakistan’s Kashmir rhetoric. Likewise, the proposed move to grant constitutional status to Gilgit Baltistan is being stridently resisted along both sides of the LoC including leadership from the so called AJK and separatists in the Jammu and Kashmir State. Their reactions are underlined by apprehensions that Gilgit Baltistan’s constitutional inclusion would not only upset the Kashmir politics, but also detriment Pakistan’s case on the region formulated over the years.

The leadership in so called AJK is particularly averse to the idea as subtracting Gilgit Baltistan may circumscribe the dispute, dent their long standing ambitions and weaken their position vis-à-vis India. A similar exposition by the Hurriyat portends that the anticipated move could diminish Pakistan’s support base within the separatist constituency in India. The Hurriyat is unanimously opposed to the proposition and has conveyed its discontent to the leadership in Islamabad.

It remains to be seen on which side the camel sits. However, if the merger of Gilgit Baltistan materialises, it could potentially usher in re-orientation of Pakistan’s policy towards the Kashmir issue. As noted, multiple challenges overcast the ongoing deliberations-foremost being accommodating/retaining strategic objectives on Kashmir vis-a-vis desire to politically absorb a significant portion from it. For now, the Pakistani establishment is apparently in a huddle to carve out an innovative solution- one that could fulfil the demands of a fairly large section of the people from Gilgit Baltistan without compromising the so called ‘principled’ position on Kashmir. However, the very idea of integrating Gilgit Baltistan suggests that Pakistan to an extent might be willing to freeze territorial ambitions for now, and instead focus single-mindedly on collaborating with the Chinese led inter-continental strategic-economic drive.

All being the same regarding India’s official stance on PoK, withdrawing Gilgit Baltistan’s disputed status could reflect Pakistan’s willingness to ‘move on’ on the issue of Kashmir. In the wake of stiff popular resistance across the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir on this significant issue, Pakistan’s strategy to absorb Gilgit Baltistan may set a steady precedent and provide India with a viable fall-back option if it decides to firmly advocate full integration of the Jammu and Kashmir State into the Indian Union.

arun · Post by **arun** » 19 Mar 2016 19:46

Meanwhile, in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, books on ‘Azadi’ continue to be banned : Sixteen books were banned last month by the government of PoK. The situation is the same in Gilgit-Baltistan, where any talk of azadi means charges of sedition. :

Scroll In

Vivek Kumar · Post by **Vivek Kumar** » 20 Mar 2016 10:49

kit · Post by **kit** » 23 Mar 2016 16:20

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1071069/us- ... -pakistan/

The espionage case against Raphel began after US officials intercepted a conversation in which a Pakistani official suggested that his government was receiving American secrets from her. The investigation did not turn out to be very successful and prosecutors were left with no choice but to focus on charges of keeping classified information in her home. Raphel consistently refused plea deals in negotiations with the government.

Raphel maintained close ties with Pakistani officials even during the rough patch in the Pak-US relationship when many other American diplomats decried Pakistan’s duplicity in the fight against terrorism. For decades, she has also been at the center of steering American policy towards Pakistan.

Raphel was recruited by Richard C Holbrooke, the State Department’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, at the start of the Obama administration.

kit · Post by **kit** » 23 Mar 2016 16:22

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1022929/pak ... escalates/

Pakistani government has asked Bangladesh to withdraw one of its diplomats from Islamabad, Dhaka said Wednesday, in apparent retaliation after the expulsion of a Pakistani envoy who allegedly funded a suspected extremist on trial for espionage.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said Pakistan had on Tuesday asked Dhaka to recall senior diplomat Moushumi Rahman from its high commission in Islamabad within 48 hours.

kit · Post by **kit** » 23 Mar 2016 16:23

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1070926/isi ... -peshawar/

A former regional director of Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency was gunned down in drive-by shooting in Peshawar on Tuesday.

Abdul Latif, who was also a professor at Qurtaba University, was in Phase 7, Hayatabad to meet his relatives when assailants on a motorcycle shot him dead, police said.

arun · Post by **arun** » 07 Oct 2016 11:56

X Posted from the STFUP thread.

vijayk wrote:WOW! Every needs to watch it and spread it on WhatsApp

……….{Video Snipped}………..

The full video recording of Atlantic Council meeting from which Senge H Sering’s blistering attack on the Mohammadden Terrorist fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan is extracted:

Senge Sering comes in at around 1h16 Min mark. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s self appointed “Mandela”, Mushahid Hussain Syed and Shazra Mansab cannot have enjoyed that tongue lashing.

Also check out around 57 Min mark for Ahmar Mustikhan striking a blow for freedom of Punjabi Occupied Balochistan:

Meanwhile PTI article titled “A thief in Gilgit cant be friend in Kashmir: Activist” on Senge H Sering’s blistering attack on the Mohammadden Terrorist fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan follows. Article also covers Ahmar Mustikhan’s assault :

PTI

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 07 Oct 2016 21:33

^^^

Pakistani elites see Pakistan as a superpower-maker and superpower-breaker. Here is what happened just after the above event, off-screen:

Snubbed Over Kashmir, Pak Envoy Mushahid Hussain Says United States A 'Declining Power'

During the event also, Mushahid Mandela blew hard about how Pakistan played a world-changing, pivotal role in the geostrategic tectonic shifts that changed the universe and shook heaven and earth, without which the US had almost given up during the Cold War and was ready to retreat into sannyasa.

He ended off on a strong note against the arrogant, over-ambitious and unwise Indians, saying that India should never entertain hopes of sitting at the 'high table' of the UN and other international organizations as long as it has 'problems' with its 'neighbours' - Pakistan's khushi is necessary for India's rise.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 08 Oct 2016 04:21

Balwaristan National Front website

http://balawaristan.com/test/

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 08 Oct 2016 04:25

All decision makers at the top in Balawaristan are from pakjab.

http://balawaristan.com/test/?p=2182

1.Force Commander Gilgit Baltistan
2. Chief Secretary Tahir Hussain, Pakistani citizen from Punjab
3. IGP Zafar Iqbal Awan , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
4. Secretary Home Ehsan Ullah Bhuta , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
5. Secretary S&GAD Jahanzeb Awan , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
6. Secretary Finance Jahagir Mushtaq wird , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
7. Secretary P&D Hanif Chana Sindh, Punjab
8. Secretary Works Burhan Babar , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
9. Secretary Minerals Rai Manzoor Hasnain , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
10. Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) DG Asim Reza , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
11. DC Gilgit Muhammad Salik , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
12. AC Gilgit Waqas ahmed , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
13. DC Nagar…Reza…………, Pakistani citizen from Punjab
14. DC Astore Umer sher chatta , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
15. DC Skardu Syed Musa Raza , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
16. AC Askardu Nadeem Nasir, Pakistani citizen from Punjab
17. SSP skardu Gulfam , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
18. Commissioner Baltistan Malik Afsar Punjab
19. DIG Askardu Umar salamat , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
20. Ac Diamer Khuram shezad , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
21. SP Diamer Danishwar khan Pathan (KPK) , citizen of Pakistan
22. SP Investigation Gilgit Ali Raza , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
23. DIG Diamer Inayat ullah Farooqi Hazara (KPK) citizen of Pakistan
24. AC Khaplu Qaiser Nadeem Lahore , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
25. DIG H/Q CPO Gilgit Inamul Rahman , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
26. AC Punyal Ishhqamen Dr Fahad mumtaz , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
27. AC Gupis Yasen Naveed Ahmed , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
28. SSP Gilgit Rana Moonawarul Haq , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
29. DC Gilgit Hamza Salik Punjabi.
30 AC Gilgit Rana Waqas Anwar , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
31. SSP Diamar Danishwar Khan Punjabi.
32. AC Ghezr Fahad Ahmad , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
33. AC Hunza Cap. Rtd. Samiul Haq , Pakistani citizen from Punjab
34. Supreme Appellate Courte Chief Judge Rana Arshad, Pakistani citizen from Punjab
35. Judge Banking Court Maher Ejaz Ali Sail , Pakistani citizen from Punjab, Multan.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 08 Oct 2016 04:27

Se[pt 14 protest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3PXn844Yk4

arun · Post by **arun** » 20 Mar 2019 15:05

People of Gilgit-Baltistan are Indians, Pakistan has no right there, says activist Senge Sering :

Clicky India Today