The land of the most beautiful valleys, rivers, pastures, streams, mountains, glaciers, plains and the world's only cold desert_ Gilgit Baltistan_ is located in the north of Pakistan. It covers the area of 72,971 square kilometers and bordered by China in the north, Indian_ occupied Kashmir in the south, Afghanistan in the west and KPK of Pakistan in the southwest. GB has the population of about 1.6 million according to the 2023 census of Pakistan.
Administratively GB is divided into three divisions: Gilgit, Baltistan and Diamer. These divisions are further divided into ten districts including Gilgit, Skardu, Diamer, Ghizer, Astore, Hunza, Nagar, Ganche, Kharmang and shigar. There is a proposal to extend the number of districts to 14 but the fulfilment is still awaited. Gilgit city is the capital of GB where major institutions_ political and military_ have their existence. GB is governed by the legislative assembly of Gilgit Baltistan formed under "Gilgit Baltistan Order 2009", consisting 33 members. 24 members are elected, 6 seats are reserved for women while 3 seats are reserved for technocrats.
Constitutional Status of GB:
"We can give our lives for Pakistan but can't cast our vote to ensure our existence in center". This sentence becomes the most prevailing in days of election. It is often called " khitta_e_be_Iaen" (region without a constitution). Such remarks uncover the ebullience of people over there.
Gilgit Baltistan got independence on 1st Nov 1947 against the dogras and affiliated with Pakistan later on through an agreement called Karachi Agreement. It was formerly known as the Northern Areas of Pakistan_ a territory directly administered by the government of Pakistan. For decades, GB had been run without giving a constitutional status and legislative powers. To date, GB has not been constitutionally integrated into the state of Pakistan. Consequently, the people of GB can not have a representation in parliament nor do they have any access to supreme court.
GB is not given a provincial status due to certain reasons. Firstly, it is considered to be a part of Kashmir and, as the territory of Kashmir is still disputed, the fate of GB is made conditional on the solution of kashmir issue. Interestingly, exempt the colonial period of a century, GB has never been the part of Kashmir historically. In early 1840s, first Baltistan in 1840 and then Gilgit in 1842 was colonized by the Maharaja of Kashmir Ranjit Singh. The people of GB fought a war against the same sikh colonials in 1947 and got independence and offered Pakistan to get affiliated with. Pakistan has always condemned the colonialism and always refused to accept the colonial settlements. But in case of GB, not only the colonial settlement is accepted, but also endorsed by referring GB as part of Kashmir. Secondly, Pakistan wants to hold the disputed status of GB in order to turn the plebescite in its favour if occurs in future.
In 2009, an order, named " Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Government Order" was put in place by the federal government. This order ensured the establishment of legislative assembly in GB which turned out to be very fruitful in future. Although, the provincial status was established; there was chief minister and governor offices, but the real powers were lying in the office of Gilgit Baltistan Council chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. This led to certain deficiencies which were removed by the " Gilgit Baltistan Executive Order_ 2018", which ensured the transference of powers exercised by Gilgit Baltistan Council to the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly. This order brought some autonomy to the region, allowed local government to establish public service commission, appoint judges, undertake tourism and hydroelectric power projects etc.
Economy Of GB:
As far as the economy of GB is concerned, there are many aspects which need to be looked at separately:
1_ Tourism:
Tourism is the backbone of the economy of Gilgit-Baltistan. The natural attractions such as mountains, lakes, waterfalls, beautiful valleys, hospitable and friendly people, food and many more, attract millions of domestic and foreign tourists every year, which not only boosts the local industry but also People from all over the country come here to do different types of businesses and earn in immense.
GB is the hub of different mountain ranges; the Karakoram range, the Himalayan range and the Hindu Kush range. These ranges inarm each other at the juglot valley of district Gilgit. Also, 18 Of the top 50 highest mountain peaks and 3 of the world’s seven longest glaciers are located in Gilgit Baltistan. K2 (2nd highest), Nanga Parbat (9th highest) GasherBrum_I (11th highest), Broad Peak (12th highest), GasherBrum_II (13th highest) etc. are located here which bring thousands of foreign tourists every year for different summits, sports and other purposes. This help to contribute millions of dollars in national economy as well.
2_ Dry Fruits and Herbs:
Dry fruits are an important part of the economy of Gilgit-Baltistan. The business of thousands of people is related to it. People not only meet the demand of the entire country but also contribute to the country's economy by sending large consignments of dry fruits abroad. The fruits ripened in the clean natural environment, transparent water and free from environmental pollution are eaten not only in Pakistan but also in abroad ardently.
Moreover, there are hundreds of different herbs found that are used in medicine, spices and many other things. Many domestic and foreign companies are trying to get the desired herbs from the forests and mountains. Local people not only provide support to these companies but also generate employment by selling a large number of these herbs to domestic and foreign companies and contribute to regional and national development.
3_ Women's Contributions:
The most beautiful thing about Gilgit-Baltistan-Baltistan is the participation of women in every field of life, be it education or any social activity, sports field or any art, economic independence, business or trade. Women have proved their importance everywhere.
Besides, the women here are an integral part of all kinds of economic activities, but especially in sewing and embroidery and in preparing the traditional clothes and hats, etc. the skill of women is unmatchable. People from all over the country purchase and wear GB's traditional dresses very fondly. It is the sole income source for hundreds of families here in GB. There is need to establish some formal industries in this regard to meet the demands from the rest of country. It will further empower the women by creating more jobs, for every woman in GB is having this skill, but due to lack of opportunities, they do not benefit from their skills. Government can provide employment opportunities to thousands of women by adopting the Bangladesh model here at a very low cost. It can make government enable to earn good foreign exchange by exporting ready-made clothes, sweaters, coats and other items prepared by women.
4_ Mineral Resources:
It is the most neglected part of GB's economy. This sector has the capacity to surpass any other economic sector of Gilgit Baltistan. Although, hundreds of people earn thousands of dollars by utilizing its mineral resources but it is far less than its potential. The marble that occurs in the mountains of GB can not only meet the demand of country but also needs to be exported in major scale as well. Along with the marble, there are numerous kinds of minerals like margarite, tourmaline, graphite, dolomite, rutile, calcite, chlorite etc.
There are some industries which are engaged in cutting and polishing of marble and other stones, but this poses a risk of air pollution. Gilgit-Baltistan cannot bear the burden of environmental pollution. The geographical position here is such that climate change is a major threat to the existence of this region. The government should ensure that polluting industries do not flourish in Gilgit-Baltistan.
5_ Sports
People of Gilgit-Baltistan not only love sports but also actively participate in its promotion. This is the reason why spectators come in large numbers from all over the country to watch and participate in the matches played here. There are polo grounds in Gilgit and Shandur which are visited by thousands of people. The games played in Naltar and Hunza, especially ice hockey and other tournaments, are of interest to tourists. People from all over the country participate in the Skardu Jeep Race. The Khalti lake freezes in winter and becomes a playground where various sports competitions are held. These things attract thousands of tourists to the land of Gilgit-Baltistan every year. This not only increases the income of hotels and restaurants but also boosts the local industry. Innumerable people's employment is related to it and new employment opportunities also arise every day.
The government has the opportunity to build a wide variety of sport fields here. Build stadiums for sports such as cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, tennis and other sports and organize international sports tournaments. This will bring thousands of people annually just to watch the matches. People from outside the country come to Gilgit-Baltistan with great passion. If the government acts with a little prudence, it can earn millions of dollars every year just from the playgrounds.
6_ Geographical Importance:
Many residents of Gilgit-Baltistan develop their business and trade because of its geographical location. It connects Pakistan with China. It shares borders with India. If the road is paved in the outskirts of Ghizer district, it will make access to the central Asia very easy. Sufficient work has not been done in this regard. Apart from China, if trade with other countries is promoted, then this region can not only give Pakistan access to many countries, but also by giving access to different countries to one another, it can collect valuable foreign exchange in the country's treasury. This region is the gateway to CPEC. All trade with China is possible through this region. Many locals themselves trade with China and contribute to regional development.
Epilogue:
Despite all the above aspects, Gilgit-Baltistan is deprived in many respects as well. The quality of education requires improvement. It is a demand of time to formulate and implement hygiene rules. The treatment facility is pathetic. The development budget here is like a straw in a camel's mouth. Here, people are suffering from deprivation and oppression. They have been deprived of their identity. There are many question marks on the rule of law. Here, the political upheaval is hindering the development of the area. Merit is sidelined in many cases. The fire of communalism is being fueled among people to achieve different ambitions. Despite the vast reserves of water here, electricity is scarce. In summer there is load shedding for several hours, and in winter there is almost no electricity. All these factors are increasing anxiety and anger among people. A kind of lava is brewing inside. Before this lava erupts and destroys everything, the government should realize this and address the deprivations.
Gilgit-Baltistan has everything that can take the country on the road of development. Now it is up to the state to take advantage of this and make the country developed or to continue as it is.
References:
- RSIL (Research Society of International Law). (2022).
- DAWN. (11 jun. 2022). Aziz Ahmed Chaudhry.
- Creative Economy of GB. (2021). Naveed Iftikhar.
- Strengths of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Economy. (2020). Sabz Ali Khan Yousufzai.
