Gilgit-Baltistan: At vortex of geopolitical controversy

Gilgit-Baltistan has a populace of 2 million people, located in the northernmost region of Pakistan. It shares a border with China, India, and Afghanistan and is a distant neighbor with Tajikistan, Aksai Chin, and Tibet. Along with these, the region is rich in glaciers, snowcapped mountains, energy resources, the best tourism spots, and flowing rivers.

Gilgit-Baltistan is home to numerous ethnic groups and sects, including Shia, Sunni, Ismaili, and Noorbakshi which have been residing here for a long time.

The geopolitical significance of the region was further enhanced with the Chinese flagship project of CPEC under BRI. The implementation of CPEC is a far-fetched possibility without Gilgit-Baltistan on the grounds, that it is the gateway of CPEC which connects Asia with Middle East and European countries.

On the geostrategic front, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have been entrenched in geopolitical and geostrategic rivalries. Having distinct geo-political significance in contemporary times, the region has been a vortex of geopolitical controversies among global powers.

Due to geographical contiguity with two archrival states, the region again fell into sectorial disputes between two major religious extremes, which posed multiple threats to the region and beyond.

The federal government needs to take an imperative step regarding the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan as India is playing a diplomatic game to legitimate the disputed territories as their part. The government of Pakistan is in a state of flux on the constitutional status of GB.

The constitutional orphanage led to the creation of nationalist movements fomenting in Gilgit-Baltistan, as the nationalist’s stand proceeded with the refusal of their fundamental privileges and rights. The federal government supports GB as a part of the UN resolution and waiting for a plebiscite but keeps GB detached from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Contrary to that, India is trying to inculcate GB as an integral part diplomatically at the global level.

The prime development in the G-20 summit besides the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, is the recognition of GB as part of India by the UAE. Such steps further prop up Narendra Modi’s “Mahabharata” quest. In digital space, making the disputed status further controversial, India has changed the Gilgit-Baltistan location to parts of India on Twitter.

Furthermore, the Indian parliament preserved two seats for Gilgit-Baltistan to gain public support in case any plebiscite happens in the future. Regardless of various reforms, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are still excluded greatly from political rights and participation in Pakistan, which makes the feeling of dispossession since starting that reason to ignite more anti-state sentiments among citizens of Gilgit-Baltistan.

In light of all events happening at the global and state levels, the government of Pakistan must not brush the constitutional issue of GB under the carpet, as India has already revoked Article 370 and proceeding further to incorporate GB as their integral part at all platforms. Now, it is the need of the hour that the federal government should take a clear stance on the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan before it becomes too late. Assuming the current geopolitical influences, if the region becomes a pawn in the hands of global forces, developmental proceedings in the region will be destroyed.