Gilgit-Baltistan: The Second Baluchistan

Gilgit-Baltistan: The Second Baluchistan For the past seven decades, Gilgit-Baltistan has been a victim of governmental oppression, primarily due to its disputed status between Pakistan and India. This region, a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is under the colonial administrative control of the Government of Pakistan, which is managed collectively by the civilian and military establishment through a presidential order. The people here are completely deprived of their national identity and basic human rights, and are also lacking fundamental facilities such as water, electricity, education, health, and justice. Considering the geographical and regional significance of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Government of Pakistan is rapidly working to change the demographics of this region. Recently, the State Subject Rules were abolished in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, and a new land law called the Land Reform Act has been introduced, which is against the centuries-old customary laws here. According to this law, the forests, minerals, mountains, pastures, tourist spots, and glaciers of Gilgit-Baltistan have been declared government property, to pave the way for settling non-state individuals in this region. In response to these illegal and anti-people measures, nationalist, progressive, and other religious parties of Gilgit-Baltistan announced a national Jirga on May 24, 2025. To suppress any potential public backlash and resistance movement, the government has arrested key leaders of the Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee. So far, thirteen leaders are in captivity, while hundreds of leaders and activists are in hiding due to being named in FIRs. Among the arrested leaders are Ehsan Ali Advocate, the Chairman of the Awami Action Committee, Mehboob Wali,the leader AACGB , Mumtaz Nagri and Taaruf Abbas Advocate of the Karakoram National Movement, , President of the Traders Association of Gilgit-Baltistan Masood ur Rehman, Nafis Ahmed Advocate and Irfan Azad, leaders of the Baltistan National Front Sher Nadir Shahi Advocate leader of the Awami Workers Party and well-known nationalist leader Aslam Inqilabi, while Shabbir Mayar, Chief Organizer of the Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement, has been kept under house arrest in his village. All these political leaders have been charged with treason and terrorism. The Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan announced during an assembly session that those opposing the Land Reform Act and the Minerals Mines Act would be hanged, which has increased the gravity of the situation. Amid the celebrations of Pakistan's victory in the war against India, the arrest of national and political leaders of Gilgit-Baltistan has spread unrest among the people, and cases of treason and terrorism are also being filed against those protesting for the release of the arrested leaders, prompting women to take the lead in protests. Recently, hundreds of women took to the streets in Gilgit city demanding the release of their loved ones and leaders. These protests indicate a situation in Gilgit-Baltistan similar to that of Balochistan, where a struggle for the control of natural resources is ongoing. Just as men have been disappeared in Balochistan while women take to the streets, in Gilgit-Baltistan, men are being arrested, and women have come out demanding their release. The Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee has called for a protest on June 6, 2025, and the public is preparing for resistance, while the government has also hinted at suppressing public resistance by force. Gilgit-Baltistan, located at the convergence of four nuclear nations and being the largest source of fresh water, is becoming increasingly significant. Gilgit-Baltistan is essential for the survival of Pakistan, China, India, and Afghanistan, thus the tug-of-war over Gilgit-Baltistan may once again heighten the chances of war among neighboring countries. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan desire to see this region as a buffer state so that all neighboring countries can protect its natural resources and develop its ancient trade routes, bringing economic prosperity to their countries. This aligns with the universally accepted principle of "live and let live." However, the situation for local people in Gilgit-Baltistan is becoming increasingly constrained day by day. It is crucial to take the gravity of this situation seriously; otherwise, the possibility of changes in the current geographical boundaries of Gilgit-Baltistan cannot be ruled out. The Writer is a freelance journalist and political and social leader of Gilgit Baltistan

Protest against GBUM Chief Shabbir Mayar in Gilgit Baltistan

GBUM- Central Secretariat Banned for 2 years

Gilgit Baltistan: A Freedom to Lost Identity

The saga of Gilgit Baltistan is no less than a wonder, after about 109 years in the occupation of the Dogra Regime, the people of this region got freedom and ended the Dogra Raj forever and turned Gilgit Baltistan from an occupied region to a free region. It is the principle of the world that when a region or territory is conquered, a state is formed, a national government is established. After legitimize the victory over the Dogras, an autonomous and independent state Gilgit Baltistan was founded on November 1, 1947. It was the third independent state after India and Pakistan in British India. The desire of the leadership here or the conspiracy of Major Brown to annex this liberated region to join Pakistan was expressed and on 16 November 1947, the Government of Pakistan sent its representative Sardar Muhammad Alam Khan to Gilgit for taking over the control of the region .As soon as Sardar Alam Khan reached Gilgit, he realized that it was very easy to govern the people here, he relieved the president of the Gilgit Provisional State and himself became the head of this independent region as a representative ( political agent ) of Pakistan. All these actions were not legalized in any way, nor did the attention of the people here go to what is going to happen to them in the near future, the people were told that the Government of Pakistan has taken over the region and changed this region from Jamuria-Gilgit to Gilgit Agency and sent its representative to manage it. The Government of Pakistan had temporarily taken over the administrative control of Gilgit Baltistan through its Political Agent. At the same time, India went to the Security Council with the Maharaja's accession letter, the Security Council warned Pakistan about interfering in the state of Hari Singh, the Government of Pakistan also appeared in the United Nations and both these countries agreed to the formation of UNCIP and the first resolution of UNCIP was passed on 13 August 1948. After the adoption of the UN resolutions, the Gilgit Baltistan's desire to accede to Pakistan was closed forever until the resolution of the Kashmir dispute because Gilgit Baltistan was a unit of Maharaja Hari Singh's state of Jammu and Kashmir, as the whole of Jammu and Kashmir became disputed. When the accession of the maharaja became legal, the accession of the subordinate Rajas automatically became null and void. Pakistan had two options. The first was to recall Sardar Muhammad Alam and recognize the Republic of Gilgit Baltistan, the second was to move forward by recognizing Gilgit Baltistan as a disputed territory. Therefore, the second option was adopted. The policy makers of the government of Pakistan thought that if we do not accept the government of Gilgit Baltistan on November 1, 1947, Gilgit Baltistan will remain controversial and the vote of the people here will also be useful to us in the form of a consensus on Kashmir. That is why the unilateral attempt to annex Gilgit Baltistan was rejected. Immediately after the UN resolutions, the government of Pakistan prioritized a strategy to strengthen its administrative hold on Gilgit Baltistan as a disputed region by designing the Karachi Agreement. After this agreement came into being, the free status of Gilgit Baltistan now turned into a disputed status. Gilgit Baltistan did not remain in the independent status of November 1, nor did the dream of accession to Pakistan come true. Gilgit Baltistan is still unrecognized today after 77 years, India-controlled Ladakh, has the status of a regular union territory , its people are represented in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, but Gilgit Baltistan is neither a constitutional part of any country in the world nor have its own constitution. The fate of Gilgit Baltistan was that the region had turned from an occupied region to a free region, which became a disputed region. Gilgit Baltistan nation lost the won game and today they are forced to live without identity and sovereignty. The restoration of the autonomous and self-governing government of Gilgit Baltistan of November 1, 1947 has become inevitable. This is also consistent with UN resolutions. Moreover, no administrative set-up, executive order decree or court decision can be a substitute for the rights of self-determination and freedom of the people of Gilgit Baltistan. Manzoor Hussain Parwana The writer is a political leader and social activist of Gilgit Baltistan.

Gilgit Baltistan Land Reform Bill

GBUM Rejects Land Reform Act for Gilgit Baltistan

گلگت بلتستان یونائیٹڈ موؤمنٹ کا ایک ہنگامی اجلاس چیف آرگنائزر شبیر مایار کی صدارت میں گلگت میں منعقد ہوا جس میں گلگت بلتستان حکومت کی طرف سے لینڈ ریفارم ایکٹ کی شدید الفاظ میں مذمت کی گئی ۔ گلگت بلتستان قانون ساز اسمبلی ایک بار پھر گلگت بلتستان کی عوام کی حق ملکیت پر شب خون مارنے کی تیاری کر رہے ہیں،گلگت بلتستان کی عوام کے حق ملکیت کو ختم کرنے کے لئے لینڈ ریفارم ایکٹ کے نام سے ایک بل اسمبلی میں لائی جا رہی ہے گلگت بلتستان یونائیٹڈ موؤمنٹ بل کو مسترد کرتی ہے کیونکہ اس بل کے اندر کالا ناگ چھپا ہوا ہے جو عوام کو ان کی ملکیتی زمینوں سے محروم کرے گی ۔۔ بلتستان متنازعہ ریاست جموں و کشمیر کا حصہ ہے، جب تک اس خطے کی اپنی کوئی آئین نہیں بنتی یہاں اسٹیٹ سبجیکٹ رولز موجود ہے اور تنازعہ کشمیر کے حل تک رہے گی، سٹیٹ سبجیکٹ رولز کے مطابق گلگت بلتستان کی تمام بنجر اراضی، جنگلات و معدنیات و چرا گاہیں عوام کی ملکیت ہے جسے ریاست نے یہاں کے عوام کے درمیان حد بندی کر کے ان تمام زمینوں کی عوام کو مالکانہ حقوق دئیے گئے ہیں،گھاس چرائی کا معاوضہ بھی ریاست ہر علاقے کے عوام سے مالیہ کی صورت میں وصول کر چکی ہے، اور سرکاری کاغذات میں اندراج بھی ہوئی ہیں، حکومت کی طرف سے لینڈ ریفامز لا کر خالصہ سرکار کی جگہ گورنمنٹ لینڈ کا اندراج , یہاں کے باشندوں کو ان کی ۔ملکیتی شاملات ، شاملات دیہہ اور چراگاہ اور جنگلات سے محروم کرنا ہے لینڈ ریفارم ایکٹ نافذ ہونے کی صورت میں۔زمینوں پر تنازعہ گلی محلے سے شروع ہوگی۔ چراگا ہ, پہاڑ ,معدنیات , چراگاہیں,جنگلات اور داس حکومت کے قبضے میں چلی جائے گی۔ ریاستی باشندے ایک ایک انچ زمین کو ترسے گی اور غیر ریاستی باشندے گلگت بلتستان کی زمینوں کے مالک بن جائیں گے۔ گلگت بلتستان یونائیٹڈ موؤمنٹ ، ایک قومی جماعت ہے جو گلگت بلتستان کی قوم کے خلاف کسی بھی حکومتی فیصلے کو قبول نہیں کرے گی ۔۔ عوام ممبران اسمبلی کے دھوکے میں نہ آئیں ، لینڈ ریفارم ایکٹ گلگت بلتستان کے لیے تباہ کن ہوگا کیونکہ اس کے ذریعے گلگت بلتستان کو تقسیم کرنے کی بھی کوشش کی گئی ہے کیونکہ یہ لینڈ ریفارم ایکٹ صرف سکردو ، گلگت اور استور پر اطلاق ہوگا ، باقی اضلاع پر اس کاکوئی اثر نہیں ہوگا ، جاری کردہ گلگت بلتستان یونائیٹڈ موؤمنٹ ، گلگت

The declaration of State Land deprived Gilgit Baltistan People from their Owned Land

A few days ago, the Chief Court of Gilgit-Baltistan in one of its decision has declared Sarfa Ranga (Cold Desert) Shigar Skardu as state land. This decision is the biggest development so far on the terme” Khalsa Sarkar” in Gilgit Baltistan. The government declared this publicly owned grazing land as Khalsa Sarkar and allotted few kanals land to the refugees in 1997. Sarfa Ranga is a test case for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, if the court decision implemented at Sarfa Ranga it will become a precedent for whole Gilgit Baltsitan . The Gilgit Baltistan people will be deprived of their owned lands. The Khalsa Sarkar is used in revenue for grazing yard, forest, agriculture land, Shamilat etc. Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed region. The state of this region is yet to be not determined. In such a situation, the state subject rules of the State of Jammu and Kashmir are in force in the region up to the peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute. This court decision will lead to change the demography of the region it will sabotage the principle stance on Kashmir dispute. Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement considers that Sarfa Ranga is the property of its residents and inhabitants since thousand years .How a court decision can change the real ownership of indigenous people on Sarfa Ranga . We appeal the honorable court to set aside her decision in long interest of the residents of Gilgit Baltistan. GBUM is stand with the people of Shigar Skardu and support their demands. Issued Gilgit Baltistan United Movement