Gilgit and Baltistan. Move to alter J&K’s status is unacceptable

The declaration of the first Chief Minister of the so-called “fifth province” of Pakistan, Mr Mehdi Shah, that Gilgit-Baltistan has “no connection to Kashmir” has no legal basis and, therefore, unacceptable to India. New Delhi’s strong reaction to Mr Shah’s statement is understandable as any move to alter the status of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be acceptable to India. New Delhi’s stand remains unchanged — “the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India” by virtue of its accession to India in 1947. That a large part of the state, PoK, remains under the illegal occupation of Islamabad does not mean that Pakistan has the right to do what it likes to suit its designs.

The first elections in Gilgit-Baltistan were held in November last year after the Pakistan government issued the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009. The Order was ostensibly a part of Islamabad’s package for the Northern Areas to quell the unrest there. The Pakistan government camouflaged it as a move to provide the people of the area the right for self-governance with an elected legislative assembly having powers to make laws on 61 subjects. The package also had it that Gilgit-Baltistan would have its separate Public Service Commission, Chief Election Commissioner and Auditor-General. However, it was cleverly designed to alter the status of Jammu and Kashmir’s Northern Areas, which India considers as its integral part. This was on the lines of what Pakistan did some time ago when it “delinked” Chitral from Jammu and Kashmir and amalgamated it with the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The truth is that the people of the Northern Areas have been protesting against Islamabad’s high-handedness for a long time. They have been denied of even basic human rights all these years. There was the fear that if their resentment continued to remain ignored the area could become another Balochistan, where most people feel that nothing less than separation of their province from Pakistan can satisfy their democratic urges. But what Pakistan has done in Gilgit-Baltistan is only a cosmetic exercise, as it will continue to remote-control the territory with wide-ranging powers with Islamabad, including the right to dissolve its elected assembly and sack its government.

Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh, India.

If you are interested to read about India and its history, check the following:

India

History of India