BY MOHAMMAD USMAN BHATTI and MUNEEB YOUSUF
For significant period of time, the politics and society of Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Balitistan (GB) stood insulated from both scholarly radars and international media. It were the parts of Indian Jammu and Kashmir which took attention of scholars, journalists, and activists alike. However, this did not stay for too long and rather it has begun to change of late with in-depth ethnographic accounts and journalistic reports underscoring the plight of the inhabitants living in the Pakistan parts of Kashmir, a region directly administered by the Islamabad.
Politics in GB
In comparison to provinces of Pakistan, GB is treated ‘differently’ and a discriminatory treatment is meted out to its people. Earlier known as the Northern Areas, the ‘Karachi-Agreement’ of 1949 allowed no representation to the GB, thus bringing it under direct Pakistani rule‑an authoritarian move which is criticized even today by its people. In September 2009, Pakistan finally granted GB a participatory political system with some effective administrative powers. This appear to be modelled largely, but not totally on ‘Azad Kashmir’ political system. On August 28, 2009, “Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, 2009” was introduced through which the people of GB could have their own Governor and Chief Minister with some judicial reforms in a province like status while keeping constitutional rights in oblivion. It introduced a local legislative body known as Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA), whose 24 members are elected on the basis of adult franchise. However, the crucial areas of decision making remained with the Council headed by the Pakistan’s Prime Minister. GBLA has the legislative jurisdiction over 53 subjects. Interestingly, while the Eighteenth-Constitutional amendment of 2010 provided some leeway and autonomy to the different provinces of Pakistan, no respite of such kind was offered to the GB or its people, and have rather seen tighter control.
Not formally incorporating the territories on its side of the border, related to the Kashmir dispute, Pakistan’s ‘ambivalent’ and yet tactical position is driven by the concern that any formal incorporation of the region would imply an acceptance of the Line of Control (LoC) and a renunciation of Pakistan’s claims over Indian Kashmir. Hence, the rationale of keeping the status of GB ambiguous is to create the perception of its importance in case plebiscite is held on the political future of Jammu and Kashmir.
GB in the Context of Larger Geopolitics
Given to its geo-strategic significance, Pakistan maintains a direct control and close surveillance on GB, located as it is at the crossroads of China, Afghanistan and Indian Jammu and Kashmir. The direct rule from Pakistan in GB does not permit any democratic rights over there, as has been brought out by Ali in her recent volume on the region. Internally, the Pakistan state manages the region as a suspect security zone, and its people are constantly betrayed and alienated. The suspicion flows from the fact that G-B is a Shia-majoritarian region which poses a threat to the Sunni-ized Pakistani state, whom it controls through wide arrays of surveillance and military authoritarian structure. The Pakistan state has deliberately allowed and encouraged influx of Sunni migrants into the GB region, resulting in spike of sectarian violence. Consequently these migrants strive for various jobs, thus raising deep concerns within the indigenous community, as has also been raised in various news reports.
Wheat Crisis: A Problem in the Making
From the beginning of year of 2023, Pakistan in general and GB in particular is grappling with wheat crisis. Remarkably, while the current Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has taken some steps towards this direction in the country, however, grievances of the people of GB with respect to shortage and soaring prices of wheat has been deliberately put on a back-burner, thus adding to miseries of common people. In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, global food supplies have severely been affected, yet it fails to cover the camouflage of Pakistani state, which displays ‘indifferent attitude’ towards people from the GB region. It needs to be brought out here that with respect to parts of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and the ‘coercive and indifferent’ attitude of Pakistani state goes one step further especially, when the political party in power of this region is different from the political party ruling Islamabad.
Wheat happens to be a staple food of the population, which however is sparsely cultivated in the region. The policy of wheat supply to GB on subsidized rates dates back to 1970s and this was necessitated due to exorbitant prices of wheat flour in the areas. Recently in a tactic of appeasing voters for the upcoming election, the current PDM government distributed free wheat flour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, a ‘populist move’ which has been strongly criticized. The persisting wheat crisis in GB could very well be explained in economic terms. For instance, the provincial government has already spent the allotted amount of 8 billion provided by the federal government for this subsidy, and now allocating subsidies would ask more funds from the federal government which given to the current economic crisis is not in a position to do so.
As the crisis deepens in GB, people continue to protest against the shortage of wheat and its sky-rocketing prices. So far the PDM government has taken no resolute steps in addressing the people’s grievances, who continue to be on roads protesting against the federal governments dilly-dally. Given to the non-fulfilment of the people’s demands, the Chief-Minister of GB, Khalid Khursheed Khan has threatened the federal government of taking the issue to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, also reinforcing helplessness of the GB government. The civil society organizations of GB have also taken the charge in their renewed efforts and towards this end, the Awami Action Committee (AAC), which is a representative body of nationalists, religious, political parties and social activists called for an all party conference on 29 May 2023. In its aim of galvanizing full support, the AAC has constituted two further subcommittees; one seeking support from the religious bodies, groups, and the other will garner support from trusts, civil society organizations and all other stakeholders involved. The Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Sayed Yaqoob-ud-din Shah Qazmi in presence of committee’s acting chairman Saqib Umar decided of launching a full social movement for the protection of the rights of GB. During the Committee’s meeting, it was also pressed upon the federal government to ensure availability of wheat as per old requirements of 20,000 bags annually, and that too at affordable prices, and if it fails to do so, full-fledged protests all across GB will be held.
In spite of the fact that GB being endowed with natural resources which are exploited by the Pakistani government; it has not taken care to the food crisis there. Besides raising the issue of wheat, the Committee wants the rights and ownership of all resources available in the region and especially are claiming full royalty over land and water resources including the Diamer-Bhasa dam. Shigri astutely observes that Pakistan government’s indifference is keeping the GB region backward and deliberately funds are not allocated for its development. Also various vernacular news reports have brought out the mismanagement of funds for the affected people of GB, forcing them to come to roads. Pertinently, Srivastava notes that obtaining cheap and clean energy, while also keeping the region poor and dependent serves Pakistan’s interest in maintaining political control over these strategic areas. As Pakistan is currently embroiled in deep political and economic crisis, it would be naïve to expect federal government cutting prices of wheat. The other demands pushed by the AAC and other organizations in GB won’t receive much attention and Islamabad would rather continue to subjugate its population and plunder its resources.
Dr. Mohammad Usman Bhatti and Muneeb Yousuf are researchers at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)-New Delhi.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.