| News Details |
| Unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan. A Warning Sign for Pakistan | |
Dr Shabir Choudhry from London
When crowds burn military headquarters, attack government offices, and defy curfew orders, the message is rarely about a distant geopolitical event alone. The recent unrest in Skardu and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan may have been triggered by anger over developments in the Middle East, but the targets of the violence tell a deeper story. Beneath the immediate outrage lies a reservoir of long-standing political frustration in a region that remains strategically vital, politically uncertain, and historically linked to the unresolved question of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The recent violence in Skardu and other parts of Gilgit-Baltistan should not be dismissed as a spontaneous reaction to events in the Middle East. While anger over developments involving Iran may have acted as the immediate trigger, the nature of the targets and the intensity of the unrest suggest a deeper story. When protesters burn government offices, attack military installations, and damage symbols of state authority, it is rarely only about foreign policy. In Gilgit-Baltistan, the protests appear to have exposed long-suppressed frustrations over political marginalisation, economic grievances, and the unresolved status of a region that many still regard as an integral part of the historic State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Although this vast region, Gilgit Baltistan, is part of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir, sadly, these areas remain under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. Pakistan has administered this territory as a ‘colony’ since 1947. Because of the legal issues, Pakistan has never fully integrated the region into the country’s constitutional structure. This ambiguity has created a long-standing sense of uncertainty among sections of the population regarding their political status and rights.
From Protest to Violence
According to reports, demonstrations began as expressions of solidarity with Iran following escalating tensions in the Middle East. Gilgit-Baltistan has a significant
Shia population, and religious ties with Iran often generate strong emotional reactions when major events affect the region.
However, the protests soon escalated into violence. Buildings associated with government institutions and security forces were attacked or damaged. Among the reported targets were administrative offices, police stations and even facilities linked to international organisations.
Particularly striking was the reported attacks on the headquarters of a Pakistani military brigade in Skardu, as well as damage to residences associated with senior security officials. Such targets raise questions about whether the anger expressed during the protests was directed solely at international developments or whether it also reflected deeper local grievances.
Reports of a Security Crackdown
In response to the unrest, Pakistani authorities reportedly imposed curfews, suspended communication services and deployed additional security forces to restore order. Local activists claim that many individuals suspected of involvement in the protests have been detained.
One political activist from the region told me that the authorities are now “punishing people for what they did,” and that a strict media blackout has been imposed. According to these sources, journalists face heavy restrictions and little independent reporting from the region is being allowed.
If accurate, such measures may temporarily restore calm but could also deepen existing grievances among residents who already feel politically marginalised.
Historical Roots: The Gilgit Scouts Coup of 1947
The present tensions cannot be fully understood without examining the historical circumstances under which Pakistan took control of the region.
Until 1947, Gilgit-Baltistan formed part of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh. When British rule ended in the Indian subcontinent, princely states were given the option to accede to India or Pakistan.
In the northern region of Gilgit, however, events took a different course. The local paramilitary force known as the Gilgit Scouts, led by British officer Major William Brown, rebelled against the Maharaja’s administration in November 1947. The governor appointed by the Maharaja was arrested, and control of the region shifted rapidly.
Soon afterwards, authority in Gilgit was handed over to representatives of Pakistan. Many historians regard this episode as a decisive turning point that brought Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistani administration.
Since then, the region has remained politically distinct from the rest of Pakistan, and its constitutional status has continued to evolve through administrative reforms.
Governance and Long-Standing Grievances
Critics of Pakistan’s governance in Gilgit-Baltistan often point to several issues that have fuelled resentment over the decades.
For many years, the region lacked representation in Pakistan’s parliament, and even today, its constitutional position remains debated. Local activists have also raised concerns about control over natural resources, economic development, and decision-making authority being concentrated outside the region.
These grievances have contributed to a perception among some residents that Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a peripheral territory rather than as a fully empowered political unit.
When external events generate strong emotions—such as developments in the Middle East—these underlying frustrations can quickly surface in the form of protests.
International Dimension
The situation is further complicated by the broader Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Gilgit-Baltistan was historically part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, a territory whose future became the subject of international debate after the conflict of 1947.
The United Nations Security Council, through resolutions including Resolution 47 of 1948, called for a ceasefire and proposed that the future of the region should ultimately reflect the wishes of its people. Although circumstances have changed significantly over the decades, the dispute remains a point of reference for many political activists.
A Warning Sign
The recent unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan may therefore be seen as more than an isolated reaction to events in the Middle East. It highlights how unresolved political questions, local grievances and international developments can combine to produce sudden instability.
For Pakistan, the events serve as a reminder that maintaining stability in strategically important regions requires more than security measures. Long-term peace will depend on addressing political aspirations, ensuring meaningful representation, and fostering trust between the state and the people of the region.
Suppressing dissent through force or restricting information may provide temporary control, but it does not resolve the deeper issues that continue to shape the politics of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Economic Exploitation and Local Resentment
Another factor often mentioned by local activists is the perception that the natural wealth of Gilgit-Baltistan has been exploited without any benefit to the local population. The region is rich in natural resources, including minerals, precious stones, water resources and tourism potential. Yet many residents argue that decisions regarding these resources are made outside the region and that local communities receive only limited economic benefit.
The expansion of large infrastructure projects, including those linked to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has intensified these concerns. While such projects are presented as engines of economic development, critics argue that they have also led to increased land acquisition and external control over key economic sectors. Many residents feel that their land and resources are being utilised in the name of development without meaningful participation or fair compensation.
For communities that already feel politically marginalised, these economic grievances have contributed to a growing perception that Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a strategic corridor rather than as a region whose people should have a decisive voice over their own future.
A Kashmiri Nationalist Perspective
From a Kashmiri nationalist perspective, the recent unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan is a reminder that the political future of the entire former State of Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved. For decades, the people of different regions of the state—whether in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir Valley, Jammu, or other areas—have lived under competing claims and administrative arrangements imposed by external powers.
Many Kashmiri nationalists argue that lasting stability cannot be achieved through military control or administrative adjustments alone. What is required is a political process that recognises the historical identity of the state and respects the right of its people to determine their own future.
The protests in Gilgit-Baltistan, therefore, highlight a deeper truth: unresolved political questions do not disappear with time. When economic grievances, political marginalisation and international tensions intersect, suppressed frustrations can re-emerge with sudden intensity.
A durable peace in the region will ultimately depend on acknowledging these realities and engaging seriously with the aspirations of the people of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Shabir Choudhry is a London-based political analyst, author, and expert on South Asian affairs, with a focus on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kashmir.
Email: [email protected]
(Disclaimer: The views, observations and opinions expressed in above write up of Scoop News are strictly author's own. Scoop News does not take any onus or liability for the veracity, accuracy, validity, completeness, suitability of any of information in the above given write up. The information, facts or figures appearing in the write up in no way manifest the position, standpoint or stance of Scoop News and the Scoop News does not assume any encumbrance or answerability of the same. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent Courts and Forums in Jammu City Only)
Editor
Scoop News,(scoopnews.in)...
... |
| |
|
|
Share this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|