Gilgit-Baltistan Issue | UPSC
HEADLINES:
The land of peaks, streams and disputes
WHY IN NEWS:
Pak.’s move to give full statehood to the mountainous region claimed by India is set to escalate tensions between the two
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : IR : Gilgit-Baltistan Issue
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS mapping this area with respect to stream , river and passes is very important .
For MAINS this opens a new chapter with twist and turns in India-Pakistan relations . Let us dive in !
ISSUE:
THE GILGIT-BALTISTAN ISSUE
BACKGROUND
- The Northern Areas is the other name of Gilgit-Baltistan that Pakistan has used for administrative reasons because it was a disputed territory.
- But that is likely to change as an assembly election on November 15.
- This will pave the way for fuller political rights for the roughly 1.2 million residents of the region.
- The political nature of Gilgit-Baltistan has been directionless from the beginning.
POST INDEPENDENCE SCENARIO
- Pakistan initially governed Gilgit-Baltistan directly from the central authority after it was separated from ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ on April 28, 1949.
SOURCES : INDIAN DEFENCE REVIEW
- On March 2, 1963, Pakistan gave away 5,180 sq km of the region to China, despite local protests.
- Under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the name of the region was changed to the Federally Administered Northern Areas.
- Seven decades after it took control of the region, Pakistan is moving to grant full statehood to Gilgit-Baltistan.
- This region appears as the northernmost part of the country in its official map.
ADMINISTRATION
- The scenic region was part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and is claimed by India.
- Pakistan initially governed the region directly from the central authority after it was separated from ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ on April 28, 1949.
- On March 2, 1963, Pakistan gave away 5,180 sq km of the region to China, despite local protests.
- Under Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the name of the region was changed to the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA).
- There were protests in the area at that time from people who demanded an executive form of government based on international resolutions.
- The local situation altered considerably with Pakistan signing an agreement with China for mega infrastructure and hydel power projects in September 2009.
- With the agreements arrived Chinese investments and heavy machinery, which found both support and opposition from the locals.
- The purpose of the court’s intervention was to determine the extent of political rights that could be enjoyed by the people of the ‘Northern Areas’.
DE FACTO STATUS
- This gave it a de facto status of a province of Pakistan.
- Nevertheless , the constitutional status of the region remained vague without explicit statehood.
- The Supreme Court allowed Islamabad to amend a 2018 administrative order to hold general elections in the region.
- The Gilgit-Baltistan Order of 2018 provided for administrative changes.
- These administrative changes included empowering the Prime Minister of Pakistan to legislate on an array of subjects.
SENSE OF ALIENATION
- One of the main reasons for the rebellion in the region in 1947 was the sense of alienation.
- Under the post-1947 special administrative arrangement, local councils worked to meet economic, social and educational development of the region.
- Irrigation channels, protective bunds, roads and pony tracks were built during the early years of Pakistan.
- Radio, telegraph and telephone stations were added in the next decade.
STRATEGIC INTERESTS
- One of the most mountainous regions in the world that is rich with mines of gold, emerald and strategically important minerals.
- Gilgit-Baltistan is largely an underdeveloped region.
- It’s home to K-2, the second tallest mountain in the world.
- Tourism remains restricted by many factors, including military hostility, though the region has some of the ancient Buddhist sculptures and rock edicts.
- It is also home to an old Shia community, which often finds itself subjected to persecution in Pakistan’s urban centres.
- At present, a Governor and an elected Chief Minister rule the region.
DAMS IN THE REGION
- The region is known for high altitude dams because of both local and Islamabad-driven initiatives.
- Mountain streams and rivers are often harvested for local community needs.
- The tradition of building dams and bunds dates back to the reign of Balti King Ali Sher Khan Anchan of 1580-1624.
- The water-rich region’s biggest hydroelectricity project is the Diamer-Bhasha dam, which was launched in July 2020.
INDIAN PROTEST
- Following Pakistan’s announcement of holding the legislative election in Gilgit-Baltistan, India reiterated its territorial sovereignty over the region.
- India has consistently opposed Pakistan’s activities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
- It also opposed the announcement of the commencement of the Diamer-Bhasha dam in July.
- There have been local and international concerns as reports suggest priceless Buddhist heritage will be lost once the dam is built.
CHINESE INTRUSION
- India has objected to the use of Gilgit-Baltistan to build and operate the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
- CPEC cuts through the region before heading to the Arabian Sea coastline of Balochistan’s Gwadar port.
- In response, Pakistan laid claim to Ladakh and the whole of Jammu and Kashmir in its map.
- An election and full statehood for Gilgit-Baltistan will likely infuriate India, which will perceive it as a step to deny reclaiming PoK ever in the future.
DOORS TO CPEC
- Gilgit-Baltistan is important for Pakistan as it is the gateway for the CPEC.
- But for India, the region represents the continuity with the past of Jammu and Kashmir.
- India included Gilgit-Baltistan at the time of Partition of 1947.
- Full statehood for the region may give Pakistan a political and legal upper hand.
- Gilgit-Baltistan will continue to remain one of the hotspots in the tense India-Pakistan relations.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The ongoing stand-off with China at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh has a Gilgit-Baltistan connection.
- DBO road provides China crucial access to Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | Gilgit-Baltistan Issue | UPSC
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