WAJsal
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I would i like to ask my PDF brothers on what they think about Gilgit-Baltistan as a fifth province of Pakistan ? now before answering be aware of the facts , so read first then answer .
When we talk about Gilgit , we talk about how love of Pakistan within the people of region drove them to fight for their freedom . The people of Gilgit-Baltistan got freedom from the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir on November 1, 1947 through their own resources, they established a new state of their own, Raja Shah Rais Khan became the President while Mirza Hassan Khan the Commander-in-Chief of the Gilgit scouts. The region had run its own government for 15 days and then offered Pakistan to take over the administration and to give the inhabitants citizenship and other human rights.
Now we also know that people of this region have always contributed to Pakistan army immensely and many brave soldiers laid down their lives for our dear country .In the four wars that Pakistan has fought with India, some of the best soldiers in Pakistan Army were from Gilgit-Baltistan. They fought for the country despite knowing their constitutional status. For them, passports and ID cards were just pieces of paper. A major part of the forces that defended Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 was from Gilgit-Baltistan. Ironically, Azad Kashmir has enjoyed a status of a semi state for decades and Gilgit-Baltistan, then Northern Areas of Pakistan, suffered with an identity crisis for decades.
The Kargil War is also an evidence of the love of the people of the region with Pakistan. In 1999, hundreds of soldiers of the Northern Light Infantry sacrificed their lives and fought in extreme conditions to capture Kargil, but they were labeled militants and mujahideen. They stood by their country despite being disowned. Lalak Jan, who fought with extraordinary valor in Kargil and was awarded Pakistan's highest military honor Nishan-e-Haider, was from Gilgit-Baltistan.
What seems to be issue at hand from which many Pakistanis are unaware of is that people of Gilgit-Baltistan don’t share the same voting-rights as the rest of the country , G-B has no candidate to represent them into National assembly or the Senate . The region does not shares the administrative status like the one FATA or Azad Kashmir have .People of this strategically important “province” consider themselves patriotic Pakistanis and have given historic sacrifices for the country. But, unfortunately, they’ve not been given equal rights of citizenship so far as people of other provinces enjoy under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Despite Gilgit-Baltistan being treated as a separate administrative unit, it does not enjoy the same constitutional rights as those granted to the other provinces. Important differences are as follows:
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) sends its own representatives to both the Senate and the National Assembly, where special seats are reserved for them. In fact, the number of seats FATA is allowed in the Parliament is much higher than any other parts of Pakistan, when compared in terms of population size.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has an autonomous government with its own temporary constitution enacted by its Legislative Assembly in 1974, a legislature and even a Supreme Court. This system is expected to last until a decision is reached by the UN regarding a resolution to the Kashmir dispute.
The Order shows that the administrative approach adopted towards Gilgit-Baltistan is not only different from the four directly ruled provinces, but that it is also different from other indirectly- ruled areas such as FATA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
It’s been more than 65 years and yet people of Gilgit cannot cast votes and cannot help the country in the larger picture , in terms of who gets to make a government or who doesn’t .
Many people would come up with an argument that Legislative assembly takes care of the affairs in the region , that is wrong . The legislative assembly is a dummy house and has no power of whatsoever . The main affairs are controlled by the Center and it is quite visible .
How can anyone justify not giving rights to vote to over 1.5 million people in Gilgit-Baltistan ; a Gilgiti cannot become MP , Chief secretary , army or police chief , why is this ? can we not be trusted or something ? are we not Pakistanis enough ?Sorry , just some hard truth in it all . All this situation tells you how incompetent governments have been . No one seems to be talking about the problems of the region , no one has really addressed the problems of this region . Instead of making all these stupid promises , why not work for the betterment of the region . It is essential that the legislators, think tanks and policy makers in Pakistan resolve this issue on a priority basis, before there is a sense of deprivation in the region . Gilgit is a part of Pakistan but it’s not a part of Pakistan , if you think about it , how stupid is that ?
Now strategically the region is very important , all these economic corridors and pass through this region . And the region itself is very rich in natural resources , with a huge potential of Hydroelectricity , which can end the electricity shortage in the country .It links Pakistan to China , etc , etc .
The poor people of Gilgit-Baltistan should not be deprived of their constitutional rights anymore. The must be an active part of the national mainstream. They should be given representation in the Pakistani Parliament. This will give a positive message to other parts of the confederation and the outside world. We have associated Gilgit with Kashmir issue too long , regardless of what the people in that region want . As a Gilgiti i would love to see Gilgitis participating in general elections and be given similar rights compared to the rest of the country . We can’t drag things for too long , sooner or later , things can and might turn ugly .
When we talk about Gilgit , we talk about how love of Pakistan within the people of region drove them to fight for their freedom . The people of Gilgit-Baltistan got freedom from the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir on November 1, 1947 through their own resources, they established a new state of their own, Raja Shah Rais Khan became the President while Mirza Hassan Khan the Commander-in-Chief of the Gilgit scouts. The region had run its own government for 15 days and then offered Pakistan to take over the administration and to give the inhabitants citizenship and other human rights.
Now we also know that people of this region have always contributed to Pakistan army immensely and many brave soldiers laid down their lives for our dear country .In the four wars that Pakistan has fought with India, some of the best soldiers in Pakistan Army were from Gilgit-Baltistan. They fought for the country despite knowing their constitutional status. For them, passports and ID cards were just pieces of paper. A major part of the forces that defended Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 1948 was from Gilgit-Baltistan. Ironically, Azad Kashmir has enjoyed a status of a semi state for decades and Gilgit-Baltistan, then Northern Areas of Pakistan, suffered with an identity crisis for decades.
The Kargil War is also an evidence of the love of the people of the region with Pakistan. In 1999, hundreds of soldiers of the Northern Light Infantry sacrificed their lives and fought in extreme conditions to capture Kargil, but they were labeled militants and mujahideen. They stood by their country despite being disowned. Lalak Jan, who fought with extraordinary valor in Kargil and was awarded Pakistan's highest military honor Nishan-e-Haider, was from Gilgit-Baltistan.
What seems to be issue at hand from which many Pakistanis are unaware of is that people of Gilgit-Baltistan don’t share the same voting-rights as the rest of the country , G-B has no candidate to represent them into National assembly or the Senate . The region does not shares the administrative status like the one FATA or Azad Kashmir have .People of this strategically important “province” consider themselves patriotic Pakistanis and have given historic sacrifices for the country. But, unfortunately, they’ve not been given equal rights of citizenship so far as people of other provinces enjoy under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Despite Gilgit-Baltistan being treated as a separate administrative unit, it does not enjoy the same constitutional rights as those granted to the other provinces. Important differences are as follows:
- No seats are allowed in the National Assembly or the Senate.
- Gilgit-Baltistan Council is chaired by the Prime Minster of Pakistan and not by a local representative. Therefore, real authority still lies with the Council rather than the elected representatives in the Assembly.
- Similarly, the Governor is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- No seats are allowed in the institutions that contribute towards effective coordination and cooperation between the federation and provinces/other units e.g. National Economic Council, National Finance Commission and Council of Common Interests.
- No representation is given in the Indus River System Authority (IRSA).
- No share of profits, from the income of hydroelectric power stations located in Gilgit-Baltistan, is granted to the region itself.
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) sends its own representatives to both the Senate and the National Assembly, where special seats are reserved for them. In fact, the number of seats FATA is allowed in the Parliament is much higher than any other parts of Pakistan, when compared in terms of population size.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has an autonomous government with its own temporary constitution enacted by its Legislative Assembly in 1974, a legislature and even a Supreme Court. This system is expected to last until a decision is reached by the UN regarding a resolution to the Kashmir dispute.
The Order shows that the administrative approach adopted towards Gilgit-Baltistan is not only different from the four directly ruled provinces, but that it is also different from other indirectly- ruled areas such as FATA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
It’s been more than 65 years and yet people of Gilgit cannot cast votes and cannot help the country in the larger picture , in terms of who gets to make a government or who doesn’t .
Many people would come up with an argument that Legislative assembly takes care of the affairs in the region , that is wrong . The legislative assembly is a dummy house and has no power of whatsoever . The main affairs are controlled by the Center and it is quite visible .
How can anyone justify not giving rights to vote to over 1.5 million people in Gilgit-Baltistan ; a Gilgiti cannot become MP , Chief secretary , army or police chief , why is this ? can we not be trusted or something ? are we not Pakistanis enough ?Sorry , just some hard truth in it all . All this situation tells you how incompetent governments have been . No one seems to be talking about the problems of the region , no one has really addressed the problems of this region . Instead of making all these stupid promises , why not work for the betterment of the region . It is essential that the legislators, think tanks and policy makers in Pakistan resolve this issue on a priority basis, before there is a sense of deprivation in the region . Gilgit is a part of Pakistan but it’s not a part of Pakistan , if you think about it , how stupid is that ?
Now strategically the region is very important , all these economic corridors and pass through this region . And the region itself is very rich in natural resources , with a huge potential of Hydroelectricity , which can end the electricity shortage in the country .It links Pakistan to China , etc , etc .
The poor people of Gilgit-Baltistan should not be deprived of their constitutional rights anymore. The must be an active part of the national mainstream. They should be given representation in the Pakistani Parliament. This will give a positive message to other parts of the confederation and the outside world. We have associated Gilgit with Kashmir issue too long , regardless of what the people in that region want . As a Gilgiti i would love to see Gilgitis participating in general elections and be given similar rights compared to the rest of the country . We can’t drag things for too long , sooner or later , things can and might turn ugly .
