THIS is with reference to the article ‘Empowering Gilgit-Baltistan’ (June 17), which presented quite a few rational and reasonable points as suggestions for preventing a recurrence of the turmoil that the region of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has been facing in recent time owing to the desire of the local people to have a full-scale merger with Pakistan.

There is no doubt that people of GB had liberated their area by themselves and applied for merger with Pakistan when the Quaid-i-Azam was still alive. Since we had accepted the United Nations resolution that called for ceasefire and holding a plebiscite, the governor-general had no option but to simply decline the proposal at the time.

The impact of an agitation by the local youth, unlike those of older generation, is quite powerful. There is a need to avoid any political crisis in a highly sensitive area. We should do away with the illusion that one day the plebiscite will actually be held.

The federal government as well as all members of the National Assembly in Islamabad should consider a few relevant points. They should accept the merger of GB area conditionally.

In case this cannot be done, the GB region should be given some represen-tation in the National Assembly or at least in the federal cabinet. Likewise, some representation should also be considered for the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the National Assembly and the federal cabinet.

For an effective resolution of the crisis, a dialogue should be considered the best available option, and unless the GB or AJK governments specifically ask for any help by paramilitary or other security agencies, nothing should be imposed on the people in these sensitive regions.

Brig (retd) Khalid Hassan Mahmood
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2024