GILGIT-BALTISTAN is celebrating its 75th independence day today. On Nov 1, 1947, the Gilgit Scouts overthrew the government of Kashmir’s Dogra ruler. The Gilgit Scouts, a local paramilitary force, were created by the Raj to protect British interests in Gilgit. They revolted against the Dogra governor of Gilgit, Ghansara Singh, on the news of Kashmir’s accession in October 1947. Singh, after some resistance, surrendered to the Gilgit Scouts. Gilgit was declared an independent state on Nov 1 and a provisional government was established. After a couple of weeks of self-rule, Pakistan took over.

During the 19th century, Gulab Singh Dogra expanded Sikh rule towards the north by capturing Ladakh and the area of Baltistan and Skardu in 1840. Baltistan was made a sub-division of Jammu state. Gilgit, however, had a parallel British-Dogra administration. During the Great Game, the British oversaw Gilgit’s military and security matters while the civil administration remained with the Dogras. On July 30, 1947, the British government transferred the administration of Gilgit to the government of Jammu and Kashmir of Maharaja Hari Singh who brought Gilgit under his direct rule. It took Baltistan one more year of fighting bloody battles mostly involving civilians, the Gilgit Scouts and the Muslim company of the sixth infantry of the Dogra army — led by Mirza Hasan Khan — to liberate the region.

After taking control of Gilgit, Pakistan did not fully integrate it into the state. Instead, the region was placed under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) — a colonial law which the British imposed on the tribal areas. A junior state official, Sardar Mohammad Alam, was sent as the political agent to Gilgit. Author Zafar Iqbal mentions in his book that a proposal was sent to Pakistan’s foreign ministry from Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, chief minister of NWFP, to bring the region under the administrative structure of NWFP. Since Pakistan wanted to secure GB’s vote bank in an awaited plebiscite by the UN to resolve the Kashmir dispute, it maintained GB as part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was anticipated that GB being a Muslim-majority region would vote in favour of Pakistan, which would then be able to get the whole of Kashmir after the referendum. However, the plebiscite never took place, and GB ironically remains linked to the Kashmir dispute.

Pakistan also retained the feudal system of the rajasand mirs. The practice of exploitative taxation and begar (forced labour without payment) was continued by the local rulers even after Pakistan took over. In the early years, discontent over the FCR started emerging. The population demanded its abolishment, an end to feudal rule and the transfer of administrative powers at the local level. A prominent hero of the liberation war, Mirza Hasan Khan, was an early critic of the FCR; he was imprisoned by the authorities. The subject did not go unaddressed. People began to organise politically for their rights and some political parties were formed such as the Gilgit League in 1956 by Mirza Hasan Khan after his release, the Tanzeem-i-Millat in 1970 by lawyer Jauhar Ali, and various students’ organisations. The first major reforms were introduced in the 1970s by the then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who abolished the FCR, the feudal system, taxation and begar. However, the region was administered by the centre, which maintained all administrative and financial powers.

Gilgit-Baltistan’s status remains in limbo even after 75 years.

After the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009, some legislative powers were transferred to the local GB Assembly. How­­ever, a complete tra­nsfer of po­­w­er from the centre to GB, self-governance, and representation in the national legislature has not yet taken place. Pakistani governments over the last 15 years have tried to respond to the grievances of the local population in the forms of various reform orders. Committees have been set up to recommend the solutions to the government which conferred with civil society and local leadership. Powerful quarters who have a substantial say in matters related to GB seem to be seeking a possible way out too. The matter of a provisional provincial status has stirred a debate among policymakers and locals.

The recent provocative statement of Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about India annexing Gilgit-Baltistan has thrust GB into the limelight once again. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has rightly condemned the statement as not just being farcical but also as reflective of India’s characteristic hostility towards this country. GB lawmakers also slammed the incendiary remarks. However, the constitutional limbo and GB’s ambiguous status over the past 75 years needs to be settled now.

The writer is a faculty member at the School of Economics and Social Sciences, IBA Karachi.

Twitter: @saj_ahmd

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022