GB provincial status

Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution last week demanding of the Government of Pakistan to grant the ‘Provisional Provincial Status’ to Gilgit-Baltistan region till the Kashmir issue is settled through plebiscite according to the UN Security Council resolution. The fulfillment of the demand of the people therefore may not be held hostage to the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution that had been dusting in the UN shelves during the last seventy years with little prospects of light at the end of the tunnel. Indian unabated defiance to the international commitments had no parallel, and the world had also seemingly given it up in the face of lingering Indian obduracy. The ready-made mealy-mouthed statements urging the parties to seek the solution bilaterally is sadly the common lexicon of the diplomatic circles across the board.

The resolution of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, apparently recognising the complexity of the obtaining situation in Kashmir in perpetuity, has shown the way forward of granting the provisional provincial status to the region with the incorporation of sunset clause. The demand seems logical, congruous and doable without compromising our stated position on Kashmir issue. The youth of the region has been protesting for such demand since long because they want the people of G-B should be provided the much awaited opportunity to contribute in the development of the region as fully empowered citizens without the constitutional hassles. They have been contributing in the all walks of the national life in whole of Pakistan, and are apparently well integrated.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its seven- member judgment in 2019 also directed the government of Pakistan to take necessary steps within fortnight to grant citizens’ right to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan those would remain contingent upon the settlement of the issue according to the UN Security Council resolution. The 15-member Sartaj Committee in its recommendations in 2015 also recommended similar policy decisions of mainstreaming the people of the region enabling them to realise the full potential of the socio-economic development of Gilgit- Baltistan region. It may be mentioned here that in the recently held elections in G-B all the political parties’ leadership in their election campaigns promised unequivocally and eloquently to grant the provincial status to the region as their first priority. Hopefully, it may not be thrown to the wind like other tall promises. This may not be delayed anymore, and the time is right to address the economic and political deprivations of the people as per the unanimous resolution reflecting the aspirations of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Delay may be deemed as betrayal. It may be unaffordable because of the sensitivity of the region.

The previously known as Northern Areas (NA) was under the rule of Islamabad bureaucrat, joint secretary, in the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Islamabad, on the pattern of colonial and people were treated as subject. First elected Prime Minister of PPP Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto introduced far reaching judicial and administrative reforms in the region thus setting out the ball rolling towards the full empowerment of the people with dignity and pride. It was again the PPP elected government led by Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani that granted special status to the region with nomenclature of Gilgit-Baltistan Council consisting 24 members directly elected by the people while the prime minister of Pakistan was as its Chairman. The chief minister and the governor were in place. The framework was though significant development but lacked the matching de facto administrative and financial powers those ultimately vested with the PM of Pakistan. The Sartaj 15-member Committee also recommended provisional constitutional framework within the federation of Pakistan wherein the people would enjoy full rights like in the rest of the country. The essence of the Supreme Court’s directions to the federal government was also more or less in the same lines.

The demand of the people is long overdue and has been remained unfulfilled firstly because of the disputed territory as per UN Security Council resolution that includes the Jammu and Kashmir state including the then Northern Areas under Pakistan’s jurisdiction. Secondly, the other compelling reason for Pakistan has been that the overwhelming majority of Kashmiri people across the LOC as well are against such demand fearing it will weaken their stance on self-determination. Thirdly, the merger of the Gilgit-Baltistan into Pakistan territory may weaken our position on Indian government’s revocation of the special status of the Indian held Kashmir by the Modi government when it made amendments in the Article 370 in the Indian constitution in August 2019. It hardly make any sense to continue to deprive the people of Gilgit-Baltistan from the conditional citizenry status while our adversely India has been flouting all norms of international law and diplomacy with impunity. Pakistan’s reluctance, so far, in granting even conditional status to the G-B people is frustrating by any criterion of progressive realisation of the citizenry rights.

This argument in favour of granting provisional provincial status to G-B may be sound as it will become redundant whenever the United Nation Security Council will be in a position to implement its resolution to settle the Kashmir issue. It may be quite unfair to keep the people of Gilgit-Baltistan marginalised in the face of vicious circle of uncertainties and complexities of the long standing issue impeding the peaceful settlement of the long standing Kashmir issue even after more than seven decades.

India’s unabated incorrigibility mired in hegemonic designs is not going to soften at all as it considers Kashmir it’s integral part of the Union. The revocation of special status (IHK) within Indian union was like the new hard slap of India in the face of international community and the United Nations Security Council resolution fearing no consequences of its brazen culpability. Ironically, the big powers, with the exception of China, are not going to even persuade what to speak of twisting the arms of India to honour its commitment to settle the Kashmir issue as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan may not be pushed to the edge of knife to become the victim of India’s bellicosity and international community’s apathy. The inertia of state of Pakistan may be broken now in favour of the people of the region.

The sordid reality of the international politics of today is the primacy of the big powers’ overriding considerations of strategic, diplomatic and commercial interests that are attached closely to India being the huge flourishing market due to political stability rooted in flaunted democracy of the world. The compatibility of world powerful states’ interests has been increasingly finding synchronization with they would not even contemplate to defer their realisation for the sake of the upholding of the cause of international obligation.

This skullduggery is abhorrent though but that is there. The international politics is not governed by scruples as powerful countries generally bully the economically weak countries at their will. ‘The UN Security Council is glorified talk shop’ as aptly observed by Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, when former president Trump singled out Iran as prime target of his victimisation. The UN was behaving like bystander when the permanent members of the Security Council were watching the ‘blood sport’ without raising their voice against meaningfully. US unilaterally withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal in which EU, China and Russia including other important countries were the signatories. They could not do anything and took refuge in issuing anodyne statements pleading for the retention of the nuclear agreement, but no avail.

India does not feel any pressure whatsoever from any direction to settle the Kashmir issue. The country instead revoked the special status of Kashmir at its whim, and there were no ripples in the world capitals. Our close friendly countries took this nation’s breath away when our very close friends either remained silent over India’s merger of IHK while others shockingly stated it was India’s internal matter. Our foreign policy’s failure could not be starker as our brotherly Muslim countries put their state interests first and foremost devoid of ideological and Islamic brotherhood moorings. India has been increasingly gaining grounds at the world stage as one of world’s major players. Pakistan, on the other hand, has been on the downward trajectory attributed to the political uncertainty in the country during this government. It has taken its toll on the image of the country globally having direct bearings on our diplomatic relations. Pakistan as the smaller and weaker country may have no chance to influence the international community to rally around on Kashmir issue forcing India to seek redemption in implementing the UN resolution and settle the Kashmir issue on durable basis. India had rather strengthened its stranglehold on Kashmir converting it ‘an open air jail’ where gruesome violation of human rights is the order of the day.

The unwavering sense of purpose of the Kashmiri people can only force the Indian government to solve the issue as per their aspirations. Those moments are yet to come but the dawn of their inevitability on the Valley is cast in stone in the face of their inimitable determination of the Kashmiri youth to write the destiny with their own hands.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com